Entangled Angel
by wonkaescape
Summary: Begins in the 7th book before the final battle. The battle does not go as expected and Harry gets captured. The others have to find a way to rescue him. Previously entitled Into the Light
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there everybody. Another Harry Potter Fan Fiction **

**This one starts in their 7****th**** year right before the final battle with Voldemort which I have re-written. I know it's not as glorious as in the book. The rest should explain itself as we go along. I also edited a few things such as the location of the battle and Dumbledore did not die. Along with some other things, I's sure. I kind of have an idea where this will go, but comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. My goal is to get better, so please be patient. Also I wish to mention that nothing in the Harry Potter world belongs to me and I intend no profit from any part of this. That is the last time I will say it. Enjoy (hopefully!)!**

**0o0**

He sat with his back against the wall; knowing that they were close now, very close. They had all waited for this moment for a very long time. Now that it was here, it seemed like it was almost a dream, which he could wake up at any second.

Hermione, sitting next to him, her face a mixture of fear and anxiousness gripped his hand briefly and glanced over at him, her emotions melting away as he looked at her, trying to give her the confidence that he was pretending that he had. He always had to pretend to have confidence around him, to never be afraid or to fail at anything because after all, he was the Boy Who Lived and if he wasn't up for the challenge at any expense, then what did the rest of the wizarding community have?

Her eyes fell from his, once again calm and controlled as they usually were in such dire situations. She returned her sights to straight ahead of her, not daring to move or make a sound, still afraid, but her face showed of it less so than it had a minute ago.

He felt their presence grow even closer. They were nearly here and it seemed as if at any moment they would be bursting through the wards that Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore and several other teachers had carefully put up in addition to the other barriers that constantly protected Hogwarts. Even though they all knew the extra protection would only gain them a small amount of time, they were erected anyway, knowing that any extra protection could end up being the difference between life and death.

A quiet voice, hoarse with worry and fright quivered to his other side.

"Harry?" Ron asked trepidatiously, not daring to raise his voice above barely a whisper. "Harry, do… do you think that…" and then said no more, the end of his sentence floating away. Harry knew exactly what he was talking about. Everybody was asking the same question, if it was only silently in their heads. Everybody really did wonder if they; if _he_ could really pull this off. He wasn't sure of the answer himself.

One by one, he could hear the spells bursting with a soft elongated click. There were many to get through, but nevertheless, they had arrived and they were so close to reaching them.

Hermione grasped his hand again, squeezing with all of her strength. He looked down at her tiny beautiful hand in his and held it steady as it began to tremble gently. As the speed at which the spells were cut thought increased steadily, Hermione's mask of confidence began to crack, beyond anything that just a glance from him could even begin to repair in the increasingly short amount of time that they had before the final battle would begin.

She took a desperate look at him, her eyes exploring his face, as if to memorize and catalogue it as she did with her school work, to never forget.

He grasped her hand tighter still and pulled her into an embrace, hoping that these few stolen moments would give her exactly what she needed to regain her mental strength and put back on her mask of false confidence that so many people were relying on. Her hair smelled of orchids and felt soft and silky against his cheek. He buried his face in her hair and she put her chin on his shoulder. They remained that way for several seconds. When she withdrew from his arms, his lips brushed her cheek and she reddened and gave him a small, nervous smile that remained on her lips even after she had gone back to sitting in her original position.

He glanced back at Ron who quickly averted his gaze, a snarl playing on his lips and his face a swell reddening.

The teachers were slowly pacing the Hall, looking after their precious students and fighters, looking on with the respect for the knowledge that they were all willingly risking their lives alongside themselves. Professor Snape slowly walked by the small cluster of friends and slowly tapped his wand against his leg, pausing only for a second before looking away and returning his attention to the other students.

As the protections burst with still ever increasing speed, the teachers nervously made their way toward the door, their one weak spot where the battle was officially supposed to begin with hoards of Death Eaters barging through their last defense. Harry stood up and backed ever further into his corner, crouching low as he did so. The other fighters rose as a wave around him. The whole room shuttered under the pressure of the dark magic as the Death Eaters burst through the last defenses and made their way to the very door that they were hidden behind. It did not need much other than brute force to knock the door down and they did just that. The speed and efficiency with which they had broken through all of the barriers that had been to tediously carefully constructed left Harry in awe.

He had moved to his position at the front of the room, only behind the flanks of teachers. Hermione and Ron stood slightly behind them, their wands both aimed at the door which was quickly buckling in upon itself.

As he looked past his friends, he saw the same stance slowly being mirrored in many of his classmates.

He spun around and drew his wand.

At that moment, he saw the ancient door give way and Death Eaters pour through it. A gust of icy wind followed them through, making their black silky robes billow out dramatically. They paused for a minute to assess the situation and regain their formation. They were lead by Lucius at the head, his wand still aglow with the remnants of his last spell that undoubtedly broke through the door. It faded out slowly, the dramatic effect was just enough to strike fear back into many who were finally coming to terms with the fact that they were standing face to face with Death Eaters and were about to go into the world's greatest battle.

"_Expelliarmus!" _A trembling voice shouted from somewhere behind him. The uncertainty in his voice made the green stream of light that flew out of his wand tremble and it flew past the Death Eaters who gently chuckled at the caster.

Harry flew into action along with the flanks of teachers in front of him. He was quickly joined by Ron, Hermione, Remus, Moody, Tonks, Mr. Weasly, the twins, Ginny. The light of spells illuminated the room far brighter than the flickering candles that were quickly being extinguished by the continuing wind coming from the wrecked door.

As the initial rush of battle subsided, two person duels soon began to form. Harry was paired with a rather tall partner at first, his inexperience obvious as he failed to block a stunning charm that left him paralyzed on the cold tile floor. He searched around for a new partner, he saw Hermione cornered. She was stumbling backward, barely able to ward off the attacks of Unforgivables she was being attacked with. He rushed to her and quickly stunned him long enough for her to regain her ground and move into the upper hand position.

A curse flew past his face so close that it shattered his glasses. Half blinded he continued on, warding off the multitude of spells aimed toward him and systematically avoiding Snape who, for some reason, kept working his way toward him.

Harry skirted around the outside of the battle field, playing on old quidditch techniques and waiting for the Snitch to appear. Voldemort had not yet made his appearance but the burning scar on his forehead had alerted him some time ago that he was very close. As the pain intensified, he groaned and covered it with his hand. Professor Snape was immediately at his side and yanked him upright by his arm. He was now blinded by the pain further than he was with just his now useless glasses. He leaned heavily on the Professor and allowed himself to be protected by him momentarily until the pain subsided enough for him to again guard himself. As he tried to distance himself once again from Snape, he grabbed his arm firmly, his bony fingers wrapping slowly around his torn and crumpled robes. His questioning glance was answered slowly by a smirk and then a snarl as Harry was once again plunged into pain.

"HARRY POTTER!" an echoing voice boomed across the Hall.

"I have him, Lord," Snape cried out, the elation shining through in his voice. He was expecting praise, he was gloating inside as the attention of Voldemort was immediately directed at Snape.

Through his pain, he was able to discern the face of Voldemort and see his pointy white teeth show through upturned lips. He inhaled in delight and swooped down to their location. Immediately Death Eaters swarmed around them, forming a barrier against all possible attempts for the other fighters to get through to him.

Shock was slowly unraveling inside of him, leaving him unable to think or act. Snape's iron grasp left it impossible for him to escape, but he was his Professor, he was on their side!

He saw through the wall of black capes that surrounded him for a second. But that second was enough to see Ron and Hermione standing side by side, stopped in shock of what they were seeing.

Then validity of the situation finally hit him. Voldemort was approaching and he had no way out. Like a scared animal, he raised his wand only to have it immediately blasted out of his hand leaving it bloody and his wand nearly snapped. But it was no use to him anyway, for it lay half way across the room at Ron's feet. He threw himself away from Snape with all his strength, reverting to his strength alone to get him out of the closing in ranks of Death Eaters.

"He's mine!" he hissed, dramatically pointing his wand at Harry, sweat running down his hand and dripping off the tip of his wand. He ducked, barely avoiding a preliminary _Crucio_.

"Don't think you are going to get off that easy, Potter," he growled. "I am nowhere neat done with you, nowhere close. I need you alive for now, consider yourself lucky boy" he spat the last word at him like an insult not even worthy of his ears.

Voldemort himself came over to him with all the grandeur that was to be expected of a great evil Lord and grabbed his other hand.

"Harry!" a terrified Hermione screamed as he, Voldemort, and Snape _Apparated_ from the room, her face spinning even further out of clarity, her hair sweeping around her face as she was forced back into the battle against the onslaught of spells was the last thing he saw before he was gone.

0o0

**Ya Ya? Good? Bad? (how bad?) Tell me everything! Especially if you have ideas about where you would like it to go. Review, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again everybody **

**This is more fun than I imagined. Sorry if it sucks, but I will keep publishing because I need the practice and because I think it's fun. Remember, if you like it, tell me so :D  
>this time, let's go from Hermione's point of view. <strong>

**It was mentioned that the first chapter was really confusing and I am aware. For an explanation, no, he doesn't know that he is a horcrux. And the "thing" with Hermione is undetermined. Tell me where you would like that to go. (ohhh, and give me ideas about Draco. Where should he fit in?)**

**0o0**

The confidence that radiated off if Harry was marvelous; it could calm even the most frightened of us in this moment. She knew that most, if not all of it was an act, that it had been built up like a wall of defense, ready to put a new face on himself whenever it was necessary to assure those around him. She knew that inside, he was just as scared as she. But even still, the calming effect was exactly what she needed right now.

He gently pulled her into a silent embrace. The feel of his arms around her let her know that she would be okay, that everything would be okay. False confidence streamed through her as she pulled him tighter and put her chin on his shoulder.

It was time.

She didn't feel herself leave the embrace, nor did she feel herself rise to her feet or draw her wand. As she moved to her predetermined position, she felt Ron at her side. He was closer to her that she would have normally preferred, but under the circumstances, his close presence was assuring.

The doors burst inward, our last defense giving way. Lucius Malfoy headed the attack on Hogwarts. The silence that followed seemed like hours. Nobody was moving. Nobody was attacking. There was nothing happening. Nothing was…. happening… at all.

Ron's wand was raised. She could feel him begin to tremble under the pressure of the oncoming battle.

She glanced over at him and watched as he closed his eyes. He turned his head slightly to the side. The spell that he uttered through his lips was barely audible, his voice quavering as he cast the first spell of the battle.

"_Expelliarmus_" Ron's voice quavered. He missed his target, but only just so.

"Forward!" cried Snape and both armies clashed together in an instant, before separating off into separate two or three person duels.

Hermione noticed that they were greatly outnumbered, even with Moody taking out Death Eater after Death Eater. She herself quickly was pulled into a side battle with one who quickly had her cornered. All the training that she had had seemed useless in this moment as the Death Eater was bearing down on her. She stumbled and fell backward, knowing that she had very little time to make up for her mistakes before she would endure a lot more than a few harsh words from her professors on her failure in training.

Harry must have noticed her distress, because as she closed her eyes, she felt the Death Eater's magical presence withdraw away from her. She quickly got to her feet, forgetting all of her previous grace and allowing her raw fear to show through. There were no comforting looks from Harry, however, as he had disappeared behind an ever-growing wall of Death Eaters. Her panic was building as she desperately searched around for Ron, the third member of the golden trio. He was at her side before she could have realized. She suddenly felt his hand making his way toward hers, their fingertips only brushing lightly, but that was enough. She pulled her hand away and stuck it in her robes' pocket. Ron backed off from her and both of their attention returned to the dilemma at hand.

She saw Harry only for a second in between the rows and rows of Death Eaters. He was doubled over in pain, clutching his head. His eyes glanced up for a second and connected with hers. There was no fear in his eyes, but they had turned dark. His normally brown eyes had turned a darker shade. A shiver ran down her spine. His outstretched arm was held by their professor, Snape. His head was upturned and he was speaking to Voldemort, addressing him as "My Lord". Before the gap closed, she saw Harry give one final yank at his arm, desperately trying to escape his grasp like a caged animal. As Voldemort hovered above the group, everything seemed to slow down; everything seemed to pause, even if only for a second.

They were really here, they thought. And, they were losing. Voldemort had Harry. All of their efforts seemed to be pouring down and only feeding the Death Eaters' means. All they had prepared against was happening. Slowly, the Dark Lord descended into the crowed and Hermione could no longer see him, her vision blocked by the veil of billowing cloaks. She had to turn away as a loud crack escaped the circle.

Time stopped. The Anti-Apparition wards had gone up just too late. One by one, the surrounding Death Eaters scattered away from the center of the room. Hermione looked up and saw the chandelier. With a flick of her wrist, it was falling toward a thick cluster of Death Eaters. Quickly she returned her attention to the oncoming enemy. As she spun away from the falling chandelier, shining blond hair caught her attention. Lucius Malfoy had seen her, his eyes glinting as his head lowered and he made his way toward her.

The twins were immediately at her side, wands drawn. The look on Malfoy's face faltered for a second as he was outnumbered. He took a step backward, his face quickly regaining all of his former arrogance. His raised wand pointed at one of us and then another. Me moved from myself to Fred and then to George, as if deciding which one of us to take out first.

His mouth opened, revealing pointy yellow teeth, visions of pure joy danced across his eyes as he inhaled before casting his curse. Hermione closed her eyes and waited for something to happen.

She heard the thud of a body hitting the floor and wondered immediately which of the twins had fallen instead of her. She wondered desperately if she could have taken their place and at least of spared Mrs. Weasly the pain of losing one of her sons. Well at least she could keep that number down to a minimum. She would defeat Lucius Malfoy and make some use of herself in this battle.

She carefully peeked open her eyes, ready to spring into pure battle mode, crazy and without borders, fighting for Harry and the supposedly dead Weasly twin.

As she took in her surroundings, she saw not a dead Fred or George, but rather a unconscious Lucius laying on the floor, a snarling Severus Snape standing over him holding a very thick potions book as if it were a deadly weapon.

Professor Snape's hair was in matted with random chunks of greasy buts sticking up. His eyes look glazed over and his robes were wrinkled.

Hermione saw the traitor and dove at him, intending to destroy him for what had happened to Harry. The rage inside of her was indescribable and the pain for her lost friend fueled the attack. The potions master held up the book in defense. She didn't stop. She didn't stop until she had him pinned under her, he no longer struggling. The Weasly twins watched in awe as she easily took him down.

"Wicked," they both whispered in unison.

Their comment had no effect on her, though. Snape's snarl melted off of his face, to be replaced with a look of shock, and then sorrow.

"I am so sorry, Miss Granger," was all he said before placing a binding spell on her that left her paralyzed.

He quickly knocked her aside and fled from the Hall. Fred reversed the spell with relative ease and Hermione stood, she was shivering violently. Her wand hand flew up and a small silver tear rolled down her face.

"Let's win this thing and get the traitor git" she uttered and didn't spare the unconscious Lucius a powerful kick to the head as she rushed back into the battle, determined and confident. None of it faked.

**0o0**

**I have been pretty much writing all day. I know I should begin to make them longer, but this seemed like an appropriate way to end here. I want your input! I know what's going to happen with Snape pretty much, but any input on Draco's part would be greatly appreciated. The next update should be within a week, but the reviews get me writing faster ;) **

**Review and give input, PLEASE!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay okay. So I can't write. I know. Thank you to the people who returned to read chapter 2 in spite of that though. Again, nothing here belongs to me and I intend no profit. J.K. Rowling owns it all. I do it because I love the Harry Potter World and because it's fun. Woot woot! Hopefully this will explain more about Snape. Or it could just deepen your curiosity. Enjoy! **J

**0o0**

He had done it. He himself had successfully kidnapped the Potter boy. Potter; the sound of the boy's name reverberated inside of his skull as he spoke it aloud, as if taunting him. The boy would taunt him no more, he thought to himself. Never again would he have to deal with the endless excuses and difficulties that he continued to shower over his potential prosperity. He was finally within his Lords grasp; my Lord shall know what to do with him, he thought. He would surely be rewarded for the capture like a king, appointed to the right-hand position, be The Dark Lord's new pet. These thoughts made him reel with delight, a crooked smile testing its grounds upon his lips, ready to retreat at any moment, for one could never be completely sure in the presence of The Dark Lord.

"Ah yes," Voldemort crooned "my faithful servant has returned to me, to be pleasured with the right of my presence."

"Yes, my Lord, always a great honor" he said, bowing lower.

"And I suppose you would like the right to sit here with me and watch the end of the Potter boy, would you not?"

"My Lord, I would not be worthy of such an honor, but if you insist…" he started, all most like a child with the excitement building up inside of him. He would like to see Harry Potter's end more than anything in the entire world. He would watch as he writhed on the floor, at his master's feet under a _Crucio _or numerous other spells that his master would undoubtedly subject him to. The Dark Lord could not kill Harry, of course, but that did not mean that a little fun could not be in order.

"You are right. You are not worthy of such an honor. And come to think of it, my use for you has been completed. You are now of little worth to me now," he turned to his other Death Eaters in the room in an aside. "We might still get a show tonight," he said.

"Oh my Lord, I meant no disrespect, I swear it," his smile retreating far within himself.

"None taken, but this is all in the name of fun, is it not?" a smile now evident on his lips as he drew his wand with a sickly pale hand and pointed it at him, The Dark Lord's wrist twisted as he uttered his curses that left him screaming and moaning on the floor, curled in a ball. "_Crucio_" he whispered viciously, leaning forward in his throne further and further as his yelps intensified.

But of course, didn't he deserve this? Didn't he deserve this? He had expected too much. He had clearly overstepped his boundaries and was being punished for it by a fair and worthy Lord as he should be.

"My Lord, Lord of Darkness, you are a fair ruler and it is not even my place to be before you. Even to be before you on my knees is an honor worthy of my very soul" he groveled, attempting to crawl forward in order to kiss his feet.

"Get off me," he hissed, pulling his feet and robes back and sending another wave of curses, this time including cutting hexes. He wanted this loser to feel it.

"My Lord, I am not worthy to even be before you," he exclaimed again, throwing his hands up. Voldemort saw as the blood ran down his raised arms.

"Perhaps you are correct," pondering the idea. His wand now pointing away from his victim and was being used to prop on his chin in a thoughtful position, his eyes were seeming to glass over in thought. "I shall let you live, you worthless half-blood, get out of my sight"

He quickly scrambled to his feet, slipping in his own pooled blood on the already slick tiles. As he reached the doors of Voldemort's chamber, he hears his master call out for the Potter boy. He considered looking back to see his victory once again slipping between his fingers, but he resisted, knowing that his master would take note of his actions. He left the room nursing his injuries and made his way down to the apparition room. Reaching there, he vanished, leaving a train of warm crimson blood and pieces of torn fabric behind him.

0o0

Snape awoke, not sure of exactly where he was, the previous night seemed to be a blur. Nothing made sense anymore. Groaning, he rose to a sitting position on the side of his bed. He faltered, taking notice of how his whole body throbbed.

Slowly images began returning to him from the previous night, and with all the grace of the potions master, he glided to his feet. He walked across his chambers, limping slightly.

He walked over to his desk and braced himself against it, letting his head droop down, feeling his greasy locks pour over his face. He raised his head slowly, feeling dizzy in the process. His hand slid lazily across the desk. His hands collided with a cool substance, it was waxy. He glanced down and saw that it was an envelope addressed to him. It was in Dumbledore's handwriting. Shit. What had happened?

Carefully his fingers felt the creases in the envelope, he felt the flap of the envelope and slowly worked his fingers under it, scared of the information it could have contained. He knew he had screwed up, screwed up worse than ever before. He hated himself with every fiber of his being; He despised himself.

He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly; then he pulled the carefully folded piece of parchment out of the envelope and opened it. In Albus' scrawled loopy handwriting the note read: _Order meeting today. My office. Be there._

By the brevity of that note, he knew something was seriously wrong. He slowly dressed himself and ran his fingers through his hair. Failing to tidy it, but it didn't matter. He had to sort this out, everything; his whole life was spiraling down the drain. All of his sacrifices for these people were about to be undermined. He breezed out of his chambers then, grabbing his wand off the side table, making sure he closed the curtains that protected the exact location of his chambers.

He breezed through the hallways, almost gliding and not bothering to look out for the small first or second years that had not quite learned to move out of the way in time. As her passed, he smiled in spite of himself as he saw his student's horrified faces. He reached the door to the headmaster's chambers and uttered the password under his breath, to ensure that none of those nosy children heard him.

"_Lemon Drops_" he said, and the doors opened for him, revealing a spiraling set of stairs that moved at his word. He paused at the great tall doors and admired their decorative engravings. In all the times he had visited the Headmaster's office, he had never had time to examine this door as much as he would have liked to right now, especially since he could have stalled for a lifetime at the current moment. Tracing his fingers over a pattern, he decided to go in. as he placed his fingers on the cold handle and gripped his fingers around it, he raised his hand in preparation to knock. At that moment, he felt the handle turn under his hand and he was greeted by an agitated Albus Dumbledore.

"Come it, we have been waiting for you," Dumbledore said curtly, opening the door wider and letting him see a room for of cold faces.

Miss Granger and Mr. Weasly were sitting in the room, next to each other. At his appearance, they immediately rose to their feet, wands drawn. Albus took note, but made no move to stop them. He desperately wished he remembered more of last night. The rest of the room shortly followed in suit after Miss Granger and Mr. Weasly.

"You bastard," Mr. Weasly spat.

"I can explain," he said.

**Sorry for the language. But here it earned its rating for language. But I didn't think that any other words could satisfy the situation. The next few updated will be coming sooner, but I believe one should be up by this time next week. I feel it will be longer and I know I have a lot of explaining to do with this chapter, but bear with me, you will like this, I hope. Again, I would like input for the Draco's character so I know how you want him to fit in. Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**No input for Draco hmm? Well then okay. I kind of have an idea of where he could go. Oh, and I think I will change the name of the story since the old title doesn't really fit. So that's what happened if **_**Into the Light**_** suddenly disappears. I didn't delete it, I swear! (This is from Hermione's POV by the way, or rather following her.) Enjoy! **J

**0o0**

The battle ended rather quickly after that point, the majority of the Death Eaters Apparated with their master and Snape. Tonks and Moody were working as a team, beginning in one corner of the great Hall and working their way slowly toward the center. The candles suddenly flickered, making Hermione look upward in alarm.

She quickly searched the room for signs of the disturbance. Standing at the door stood Dumbledore, wearing silken purple robes. He was walking backward up the steps as he raised his wand to his throat. And his voice was instantly booming over the fighters.

"Your master is gone, what more do you have to fight here for? As we speak, we have more Ministry workers Apparating here. You are already outnumbered and will soon be even more so outnumbered. You have Harry, why must more magical blood be spilt today?"

As he spoke purple fog arose at his feet, soon covering his entire form, leaving only a shadow in the growing cloud. More fighters then entered their wands and the remaining Death Eaters realized exactly what Dumbledore had just told them. They were outnumbered and there was in fact, no point for staying there.

As the cloud of purple fog reached the fighters, the Death Eaters began to cough; violently at that. Hermione felt something grow warm in her pocket and saw the small bubble going up only inches from her face, forming a semi-permeable membrane between her and the poison. They had obviously gone to plan B. As she looked around, she saw that the other's bubbles were also forming, and she was glad for the protection.

After that, the Death Eaters left. That was about it. An anti-climatic ending to a battle, but at least it saved their asses.

After the death eaters had been chased off Hogwarts grounds, Madam Pomfrey began to make her rounds, tending to the injured. The battle had been not too bloody, with no casualties on our side and the worst injury being a few broken bones (poor Neville had been caught under the fallen chandelier). She would have to make sure to give him extra help in potions class.

Madam Pomfrey had insisted in taking the lot of them back up to the infirmary and keeping them overnight. After being led up the winding stairs with the rest of the Order and students, she plopped down in a bed and felt the soft linen on her cheeks. She pulled the blankets into her fist and squeezed them.

"Mione?" said Ron from behind her. She slowly sat up to face him, hugging the pillow in her arms. "Mione, I was wondering what… what are we going to do, you know, without Harry and all?" He was unusually calm, but she saw hi s bottom lip quivering

She had barely opened her mouth in reply as Ron sat down on her bed with her and threw his arms around her. She hesitated before returning the hug. She wished that Harry's arms could be around her once more.

0o0

The night had passed and Dumbledore had called them to his offices. They had all sat around the round table silently until the Headmaster entered the room.

"As we all know," he began tentatively, "Last night's battle was a terrible event. The Boy Who Lived was captured. I swear to you, in all the years that Snape had worked here, never had he ever even slightly displayed any signs that he had returned into the Dark Lord's grasp. I trusted him with my life. I stand humbly before you and admit that I have obviously never been such a bad judge of character in my life. I apologize and resign myself as the leader of Phoenix. As my last order as head, I would like to appoint Alastor Moody as my replacement. Thank you all." Shocked faces greeted him as he headed toward the door. Moody stood up to stop him, but the situation only escalated when the door opened to none other than to Snape the traitor himself.

"I can explain," was all he said before being greeted by wands form all sides.

**Okay. Short. Really short, but I have such writers block… sorry. The next update should be up within three to four days hopefully. It could be possibly longer. And watch for the name change. If you review, it might encourage me to write faster **


	5. Chapter 5

**Awesome. So I figured out Draco and changed the name of the story. Before I forget again, I would like to thank pawsrule for reviewing all of my chapters. It means a lot. This is following Severus by the way. I finally came up with a way to break it down so it all made sense, and trust me, it wasn't easy. Enjoy! **

0o0

My mind was spinning with questions. Mainly what the hell had happened last night? What had that arrogant toerag done? And lastly, how in the name of Merlin was he going to get himself out of this mess?

"I believe you missed the battle," Dumbledore said, his voice unyielding. His icy eyes piercing into Severus and he could slowly feel the old man piercing his mind, with none of his usual gentleness. Legilimency was most defiantly one of the Headmaster's strong points.

As the force of Dumbledore's attack grew, Severus lowered himself into a boney wooden chair in one corner of the room, one that was significantly separated from the rest of the chairs. This was a chair that the house elves usually sat in and served Dumbledore and his guests. His hand grasped the edge of the armrest in pain. His mind had not been violated so brutally since his days serving the Dark Lord. What could have happened for Dumbledore to attack his mind with such force?

At last, the old man seemed to have found what he was looking for and he withdrew his mind from Severus's leaving not a trace that he was ever there.

Dumbledore's features softened as he conjured a cup of steaming liquid for the shaking Severus.

"My boy…" he said, and with a click of his tongue, strode over to Severus and laid a hand on his shoulder.

The rest of the order was in shock. Severus would have been greatly amused at their expressions if it had been almost any other circumstance.

"What… what happened?" Severus asked slowly.

"You should know," Ron sniffed in disgust and raised his wand. As Ron's wand was on its way up, Dumbledore shot a glance at Moody. Moody's eye twirled for only a moment before nodding slightly and standing.

"Swallow a hippogriff you son of a bludger," Moody said, quickly shushing Ron, but earning him a nasty glance from Mrs. Weasly. "Let's allow the poor git to tell us his side of the tale. Then have at him. Might be a good bit entertaining," he growled and sat down again.

"To fully inform you of my story, I would like to say that I have very little recollection of last night and would like to be told of what happened so I can understand why everybody has so much… tension." He said, choosing his words carefully.

"Harry Potter was taken," Dumbledore said slowly. At that, Severus looked around the room, and for the first time, noticed the Potter boy's absence. "Harry was taken by you, Severus."

"Impossible," Severus said and waved his hand as if nothing that Dumbledore was saying held any sort of reason. "Why would I take the boy? And by what means? As you gave already stated I, after all, missed the battle. Something I apologize for greatly. I did not do so without reason. And what a reason I have," Severus said grimacing and rubbing his neck tenderly with his last statement.

"You were at the battle," Tonks said. "But you were only there briefly. You and your Death Eater pals quickly captured Potter and Apparated to who knows where. I would like to ask however, why you returned to Hogwarts. And why in the name of Merlin's underwear did you come here to an Order meeting of all places, with a bunch of Aurors?"

"I was never at that battle I assure you. Why would I steal Potter away as you so claim when I was the one of the ones trying to protect him? I came here to find answers, as did you. I had no idea of the hostility that would greet me, though."

"You have your answers, now it's our turn" Dumbledore reminded him.

"I don't see why I have to justify myself to these people," Severus sniffed and examined his fingernails.

"All we want is the truth," Hermione charmed in, her bottom lip obliviously trembling, even though she tried to conceal it. With another glance from Dumbledore, he began his story.

"Alright," he started, "the last thing that I remember was preparing for battle in my own glorious headquarters. I was chopping lacewing purely to calm myself, preparing potions often has a calming effect. I was about to bottle my fifth batch when a two way mirror lit up in my office, one that used to signal that one of my many connections had vital information. This mirror could also connect the other mirrors that it was partnered in a port key kind of fashion. When my main objective was to spy on Voldemort, I used that mirror to have contact with others on the inside and others crucial to my operation. I used that mainly in the beginning. Now we have other ways of course. It had been silent for many years; I kept it mainly for sentimental reasons. I went to it immediately. Through the mirror stepped a hooded figure."

"Yeah right. Sounds like a scene from a Rita Skeeter article if you ask me" Fred said.

"Shush Fred; I am trying to memorize it for her. He could probably give her a few pointers." George said. Severus paused for a moment, considering subtracting points from Gryffindor, wishing that they were still attending Hogwarts for once.

"Let the man continue," Mrs. Weasly scolded her twins.

"I see this is boring you," Severus said slowly, tasting each syllable as it left his mouth. "Let me cut to the chase then. I can inform Dumbledore of the details later. Basically he disarmed me in my moment of confusion and placed a very advanced binding spell on me. He then force-fed me my own sleeping potion after cutting off a lock of my hair. Polly juice potion ingredients were stolen" His finger followed a greasy bit that was shorter than the others and pulled it away from the rest to show the Order.

"Wait, so you slept through the battle?" Ron asked curiously. Severus's only reply was a cold glare.

"How do we know that this isn't just a story; that you didn't cut off a lock of your own hair just to show us and are really attempting to infiltrate the Order to pass off information to Voldemort?" Moody asked. He was always so suspicious, Severus thought. But then again, he was a retired Auror.

Out of his robes, seemingly from nowhere, the professor pulled a small dark blue bottle with a decorative silver top. Severus identified it as his most powerful truth serum.

"Go on, test me," he dared them and handed over the bottle to Dumbledore. Most of the order then left their seats and gathered around the small chair in the corner. Dumbledore grasped Severus's chin suddenly and firmly, tilting it back gently. With his other hand, he knocked the stopper off, allowing the top to rest in the palm of his hand as he slowly lowered the bottle to Severus's lips.

"Seven drops is all it requires, Headmaster. Anymore and I will be spilling out well confined childhood memories and my thoughts in my darkest moments with Voldemort himself." Snape put in right before the bottle reached his thin, pale lips.

Dumbledore let the bottle touch his lips and carefully tipped the required seven drops into the potion master's mouth. With that, he covered his mouth and nose, forcing his to swallow.

"Did you take Harry Potter," Dumbledore asked.

"No."

"Was your recollection of last night's events accurate?"

"Yes"

"Why do you, if you so choose, to protect Harry?" Snape visibly seemed to fight the potion at this point, and tried to twist his jaw out of the Headmaster's grasp. "Why?" asked Dumbledore, demonstrating more force in his voice and with his hold on Severus's jaw.

"Lilly…" was all he said. A hush fell over the Order members.

"Severus… I never knew, after all this time?" whispered Dumbledore.

"Always."

0o0

The blackened silence enveloped Harry's every sense. Nothing could reach him here. He wondered when they would come for him again. It would be a relief to see even a Death Eater at this point, to at least know that he had not gone blind. Slowly a hatch above him opened, blinding him with light. And the pain started all over again as his body writhed under countless different curses.

"Save me," Harry groaned, hoping in vain that anybody who cared could have heard him, but his own pleas for help were drowned out by his screams.

A caring pair of eyes watched from another set of shadows. Harry was wrong about one thing, there was somebody who cared that could hear him; and he wished with all his heart that he could save him.

0o0

**Did you like it? I am without internet access and will not be home for a few days so I don't know when this will end up getting posted. But in the mean time, I will defiantly start the next chapter. I know I kind of copied that one bit from the book, but it was so amazing. JK Rowling owns it all. The plot is the only thing my own. Review, what did you think?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Let's jump right in. It will follow Draco. Enjoy**

0o0

Draco's face peered out of the shadows, looking on as Harry writhed under the spells, his form bloodied and bruised. He so desperately wished to jump out of the shadows and rescue his Hogwarts school mate. They had always been enemies there, but here was different. Here it was a matter of life and death. Draco retreated and began to walk away from the form of Harry.

"Draco," his father's voice summoned. "Draco my boy, The Dark Lord has a task for you. Don't screw this up, the entire Malfoy name rests upon your performance." His cane produced sparks on the ground as he walked away leaning heavily on it.

He approached the doors of the room where he was and stood for a moment, preparing himself. Composing a mask of awe and fear, he threw open both doors of the seeing room. Upon his entrance, he fell to both knees and put his head on the ground.

"Draco," The Dark Lord hissed "It has been a while since I last received news from Hogwarts. I trust you have good reason why I was not better informed."

Slowly Draco crawled forward on his knees so he was at The Dark Lord's feet.

"Yes my lord, I have been trying to secure myself a more permanent part Hogwarts, so I may continue to serve you as a spy." Draco hardly intended to escape harsh punishment, but it was worth a shot. And part of it was true at least, he was trying to gain acceptance into the Order.

"Very well, but that is not the point at hand, I have a task for you. I would like for you to become apprenticed under Severus Snape, the potions teacher at your school and head of your house. I was told by your father that you excel in potions and are one of the professor's favorite students. This arrangement would allow you to stay on at Hogwarts and would also allow you to get training as a spy. As you probably well know, Snape is a spy for our side and I'm sure I could arrange this with him."

"Thank you my Lord, it would be an honor to serve your magnificent cause and being. Please, I beg of you to let me know of any of your other wishes so that my task for you may be fulfilled to the greatest and upmost perfection under your supervision." Draco said, still hoping to escape torture tonight.

"Draco, I wish of you to leave my presence. The Dark Lord is a very busy person, your father ensures it," He grumbled, as if keeping loyal Death Eaters close was nothing more than a service to them and a chore.

"Yes, my Lord" Draco said respectfully and bowed quickly before backing out of the room. He wanted to head back to the hole where Harry was. Draco wanted to look into his marvelous green eyes, and tell him everything's going to be okay and that he would get him out of there.

Disgusted with himself, his family, and his way of life he walked out of the building and quickly made his way back to the apparition point.

When Draco arrived back to Hogwarts, he stormed to his Head Boy dormitories, wishing that he weren't such a pathetic git. That night Draco could not sleep, the memory of Harry sitting in that hole overwhelmed his senses. He could not breathe he could not think, all he could think about was poor Harry and how spells bombarded him and blood pooled under his head. She wished so desperately now that he could have done something, or wished it was within his power to release him from his pain. He would've done anything to rewind time to that moment so he could have the least told Harry that he was there, that he could feel his pain.

At that time he knew that he had to go to Dumbledore, he had to tell him saw that night even if it meant betraying his family.

The next day he walked to the Headmaster's office nervously. He took a few short breaths before walking up the winding staircase that led him to the office for Dumbledore sat reading.

"Ah, my boy, come, sit down, sit down." Dumbledore said, his voice cracking in his old age.

Tentatively Draco's sat down; his arms shaking.

"Yes?" Dumbledore asked, eyeing him up and down.

"I… Sir… I have to tell you something."

"Yes my boy, what is it," Dumbledore said, furrowing his eyebrows deeper.

Draco was at a loss for words. How could he tell the old man everything? Without knowing it, he began rub his left arm, where the Dark mark was carefully concealed under his robes.

The absurdity of the situation finally overtook Draco; the realization of what he was about to do seemed ridiculous and uncalled for. At that moment he almost ran out of Dumbledore's office, cursing himself for what he almost did. His arms tensed, as if preparing to lift himself from the chair, but the memory of Harry, so alone in the hole had him firmly rooted to the seat.

However he still could not come up with words that describe the situation; I mean, Harry was a Gryffindor, and he been a Slytherin. The two houses have been rivals over since the formation of Hogwarts. If his father ever found out about what he was about to do, he would have his head served on a silver platter to the Dark Lord himself. He began to sweat profusely, in his arm shook as he slowly slid his fingers under the cuff of his sleeve.

The look on Dumbledore's face went from curiosity to understanding to horror as Draco pulled his sleeve up to reveal the Dark Mark.

"Draco, was a meaning of this? Why are you telling me this?" Dumbledore said his finger slowly itching to his.

"Sir, I have information, information pertaining to Harry Potter. Sir… I wish to help."

"Well of course my boy, have a cup of cocoa. Do you know where he is?"

"Sort of, I mean yes," Draco said nervously as he sipped the cocoa. 'It's just that…"

"I understand, my boy," Dumbledore said, getting to his feet and going behind Draco's chair. Draco's heart quickened. "May I?" he asked. Before waiting for an answer, he grasped Draco's chin and stared into his eyes.

He felt another presence in his mind, one that he knew to be Dumbledore's, but still he was protective and seized up as he filtered through his mind. His father's basic training allowed him to at least steer the Headmaster in the right direction and help him to avoid memorized of a more private sort.

The memory of Harry in the Death Eater camp overwhelmed him. He allowed it to overtake his every sense, trying to convey as much information as possible through this one connection.

When the memory ended, Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes scanned his face and he swore there was pity in his face. He then turned sharply and left the room, leaving Draco breathing hard and sweating in the chair.

"We are going to need to get you better protection for that, my boy." Dumbledore said before the great door shut behind him. Draco couldn't move, he couldn't even think. Though Dumbledore was a skilled, it was not necessarily a pleasant feeling to have someone trifling through your memories. A shutter ran through his body, leaving him breathless once more.

What had he just done?

0o0

He could now focus on a dim beam of light that seemed eons above him. The spells that assaulted his body now had little effect on his mental state. He wished for human contact more than anything. He wanted to be held again. He wanted Hermione.

0o0

**So, sorry about the longer than normal wait, but I've been lazy. And so today I'm up late waiting for Pottermore writing. If I get more than 3 reviews on this chapter, I'll update within 3 days, Review! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Let's see. I'm thinking Hermione again for this chapter. Enjoy **

0o0

"I have called this meeting because of new developments. An opportunity has presented itself, and as leader of the Order, I believe that it will be extremely beneficial to our current predicament. This opportunity has presented itself in the form of a spy. This young man has opened himself up as a potentially very useful insider and can provide information that will help us get Harry." Dumbledore said.

"Who is he?" Ron asked.

"He wishes to remain anonymous," Dumbledore stated simply before turning around and heading toward the exit. "Meeting adjourned," he said before leaving his office.

"The only Death Eaters we know is Draco, and I doubt he would betray his pureblood family," Ron said, pondering.

"Or Snape's guilty conscious finally caught up with him," Hermione said

"You don't believe him?"

"I don't know, do you?"

"I don't know, Dumbledore seems to believe him," Ron said.

"That was always good enough for Harry," Hermione said, her hazel eyes tearing up. She looked away and Ron did the same. "We should go…"

"Okay… okay" Ron said, leaning closer to her as he spoke. She stood up abruptly, nearly hitting him as she did so.

"I have to go, the essay for Flitwick is only a week out, and I have only done one roll of parchment so far and I need to do some background for Snape's-" Ron cut her off and placed a finger on her lips. He reached for her hand, the tips of their fingertips barely touching. Slowly he intertwined his finger with hers.

"School's out Mione, nothing matters, nothing matters."

She broke their gaze, one tear rolling down face. She fell apart and slowly removed his hand from her face. She tore her hand from his and the moment had shattered.

"Stop it Ron, just stop it; Harry is gone and you are still not thinking with your brain. I can't believe you,"

"'Mione, come on…" Ron said, the tips of his ears turning red.

"No, Ron, back off." Hermione spat before storming out the door

The door opened and she went out. She stepped out the crack and tripped over another set of robes. She let her gaze follow the robes up, up all the way to a green scarf and shining Head Boy badge.

"What are you doing here mudblood?" Draco asked, but he sounded tired, or bored with the situation.

"I could ask the same of you," she retorted, shocked by his presence.

"Move aside… please," he said; his normal tough-guy attitude nonexistent. "I need to talk to Dumbledore."

"You are about five minutes to late then, all you will find in there is a Weasly."

"Oh… okay." He seemed… flustered at the best. Not like the Draco she had gone to school with for the past seven years. The one insult that he had given her seemed to hold no value, like there was nothing behind his words driving them.

His face flushed and he gently placed his hands on her shoulders and moved her aside.

"I'll wait for him," Draco said, his voice almost calming; not a slightest hint of his normal malice.

"Okay, I will tell him… if I see him you know,"

"Sure Granger," his head was ducked as he stepped by her and went through.

Voices came from inside the closed doors and quickly Draco came back out. He leaned back against the closed doors and Hermione just watched him quizzically, waiting for a response.

His head swung dejectedly and he gazed up at Hermione.

"You never told me he was pissed," he said, no smile in site to accompany the sarcasm.

She said nothing, but rather waited. She knew that he wasn't done. He looked up again, seeming to have made up his mind about something.

"Granger?" he asked questioningly. "Would you mind following me please?" and extended his arm, showing off his pureblood manners.

"What's the deal Malfoy?" she wasn't about to trust him.

"I have a secret," was he flirting? Ha, a Malfoy flirting with a mudblood. Not likely. Anyway, she took his arm, genuinely intrigued. "Follow me," he said, his grey eyes sparkling.

"Where are we-?" Hermione asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"Relax Granger," he said.

They walked together through the hallways until they reached a blank wall. Both simply stood in front of it for a few minutes.

"The Room of Requirements?" Hermione questioned.

"You got it Granger."

"But why?"

"Why not?"

When they had entered the room, they looked around; Hermione looked in awe of Draco's mind's creation.

In the center of the room, there were two chairs, no they were thrones. They faced a small table that had some Butterbeer and crumpets. There was a magnificent fireplace with glowing embers, which Draco ignited with a flick of his wand.

"Sit down Granger," he said, waving his arm in the direction of the two chairs.

"Hermione- its Hermione," she said softly.

"Okay then _Hermione_."

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Enough small talk; I don't even know how to say this without just saying it outright." All of his previous mischievousness was gone from his voice in an instant.

"Go on…"

"Dumbledore talked to the Order today, correct? He mentioned a sort of… inside source."

"How… how did you know that?" she asked, wondering what the hell was going on. She tensed up, ready for any necessary sudden movements.

"I am that inside source. The other day I saw Harry being tortured, and I just couldn't take it, he was completely helpless and I felt terrible." What had happened to Draco? Who was this?

"Draco, why am I here?" she asked.

"My father can't know I betrayed him," Draco said, seriousness and fright slowly creeping back into his voice.

"And…."

"If the Order finds out who I am, who knows who else would?"

"How would he find out from the Order?"

"He's Lucius Malfoy, right hand to the Dark Lord himself, who knows what he is capable of?"

"Okay, but why are you telling me?" Hermione asked, intrigued once again.

"Because, Hermione, I think I have a plan," Draco said, his grey eyes glinting.

0o0

**Sorry, life's crazy. I will update when I can. Please review, it will convince me to write faster!**


	8. Chapter 8

**This will follow Hermione. I think this will have five of or so more chapters, and I am planning to write another story, but with school starting, I have no idea how fast the updates will come. I apologize if they come slow, but I plan to try to write ahead to have some chapters for back up incase I can't update too often. Enjoy **

0o0

She had to admit, his plan as pretty good. They would work together, he the spy and her the carrier, much like an owl, he pointed out. She would act the part of the spy to the Order and he would supply her with the necessary information.

"Okay, well other than it being completely unbelievable that I would have infiltrated the Death Eaters, how do you plan to portray this? They are going to want proof," Hermione had asked.

"We can use muggle techniques to sort of brand a dark mark onto your am and enchant it by Dumbledore's ingeniousness. Even moody wouldn't expect us to do that, and anyway, he is not incredibly well versed in muggle technologies. I believe we can make it believable enough so that nobody will suspect a thing, "Draco said, his explanation showing that he had already thought this through thoroughly.

"Will Dumbledore even consider this? I mean, what reason has he got to cover your ass?" She asked, still a bit skeptical of his plan.

"He needs me," Draco said, his voice slithering.

"True, but who are we going to get to give me a tattoo? And what exactly are we going to tell them it is of?"

"So many questions Granger, can't you ever just accept something?"

"It's not in my nature Malfoy," she said almost seductively and sipped her butterbeer.

Again with a gleam of his eye, his mask fell and he was left feeling almost vulnerable again. He stood up, putting down his cup. She stood with him, not sure what yet to expect of her new friend.

"Thank you," he whispered and glided over to her. He paused in front of her and looked her up and down, his eyes full of emotions. Hermione felt nothing for the boy, yet she didn't feel violated when he was so close, nor when he scanned her with his eyes. She felt his intentions were not the normal ones. Suddenly his arms wrapped around her in a friendly embrace. She paused for a moment in amazement at the Slytherin's open affection and she wondered what effect growing up being groomed for a Death Eater had had on him. She also wondered why he broke down now.

"Okay, I'll do it," she said quietly, wrapping her arms around him as well. She couldn't help thinking of Ron's face would have looked like if he had seen the two in this embrace. Quickly afterward, he broke the connection, as if coming to the realization of what he was doing, I mean, a Slytherin _hugging_ a Gryffindor?

"Thank you," he murmured, not looking her in the eyes.

"One more thing," she started. "Snape; do you know if he is telling the truth?" she inquired, recalling her earlier conversation with Ron.

"He is truthful. There is much buzz about a Peter Delsay becoming of great favor with The Dark Lord, if anything; I believe he is your man."

"My first report as a spy," she said, faking awe in her voice.

"Oh Granger," Draco shook his head and took another sip of his butterbeer.

"Draco?" she asked once again, forcing his eyes up to hers.

"Yes?" he answered.

"Why… why are you doing this?"

"My intentions are my own," Draco said, his guards back up in a second. "Why did you agree to help me?" he countered easily.

"I…" she staggered in her words, "I see what you mean," she finished, a slight color rising to her cheeks.

"Right. To Dumbledore then?"

"After you," she said, gliding her arm in the direction of the exit to the magical chambers.

As they exited, the pattern of the door slowly faded out behind them into the wall. They made their way back up to Dumbledore's office where they had been just such a short time ago.

As they entered, both were inwardly glad to find that the Weasly had left. As they both headed toward another set of door, both could see the hunched over figure of the great wizard at his desk. Through the transparent glass they could see the older man had his head cradled in his hand.

"Ah, Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy," he greeted the pair as they entered his office. "Ms. Granger, I presume you have agreed to Draco's plan. I admit, I couldn't have come up with a better one myself," And for the third time that night, she was completely dumbfounded.

0o0

**Short I know. Writer's block is terrible. The next one should be up within the week. Review, please? I really love the input. **


	9. Chapter 9

**This will follow two people, first Draco and then Harry. Enjoy**

0o0

Hell, even Dumbledore admitted that their plan was almost flawless, almost. Moody would be their one issue to get over. All the others would almost undoubtedly accept Dumbledore's word without question. Snape was also an issue. Having been inside before, he might judge Hermione's ability to do the same. Dumbledore however had assured them both that it wouldn't be an issue to convince him. Even so, they all agreed that Hermione should participate in Legilimency lessons with Dumbledore himself. And lastly, they agreed that Ron should have no knowledge of this considering his rivalry toward Draco.

The next day, Hermione, Draco, and Dumbledore left the castle under the protection of many spells and none other than the greatest wizard himself. They all agreed that this endeavor was to be clandestine and should never be talked about for outside ears, as it might compromise Draco's position.

They had settled on a muggle tattoo parlor far outside London, where there would be little chance of anybody recognizing them. Hermione settled into her chair and pulled up the sleeve of her muggle clothes, which of course, she was used to.

The skeptical tattoo artist eyed the three wizards and let his cigarette fall from his mouth gracelessly where his dirty boot stomped the life out of the tobacco.

"Now, explain again, what is it that you all want done to this 'ere pretty lady?" he said, winking at Hermione.

Dumbledore held up the non-enchanted photo of Draco's arm. It had taken quite a bit of work to make sure that the photo wouldn't move.

"Okay, y'all sure? A work this complicated is gonna take some time…"

"Quite," Dumbledore said and looked at the man with such intent that he didn't dare question the odd trio any further. He turned to the side table beside him and began organizing his materials. At that, Dumbledore went over to a pile of magazines in the waiting area, took a complimentary lemon lollypop and sat down. Draco looked down at Hermione and then over at the tools that the tattooed man was readying. Grimacing, he turned as if to follow the Headmaster.

Hermione grabbed Draco by the strings of his oversized hoodie and pulled him closer to her face.

"Stay?" she asked, her lips trembling slightly. "Draco, I'm not sure which to be afraid of more, the needle or the creep wielding the needle," she glanced over at the man to make sure he hadn't heard.

"Ahh Granger, what a ninny," Draco teased and pulled over a green chair beside hers. The man turned back around and Hermione noticed his silver nameplate indentified him as Arnold.

"Arnold?" she said, no fear left in her voice.

"Hmm?"

"Is it… is it going to—"

"Hurt?" laughter in his voice. "Yes, something this complicated sure is missy,"

"Oh," she whispered, fear back.

She grasped for Draco's hand and closed her eyes tight as the buzzing started. She turned her head away and gasped as the needle first pierced her skin.

After that there was nothing. She hardly even moved throughout the whole procedure. Draco stayed beside her the entire time. The entire process took three hours. Quickly the gauze covered her tender skin and she stood up, holding her arm out in front of her.

"Draco?" she asked, as Dumbledore stood up and approached them, slyly tucking the muggle magazine under the fold of his robes and winking at her subtly.

"Granger?" he questioned back, raising an eyebrow at her.

"This is really working, isn't it?"

"Yes Granger, I really think it is going to work,"

"One more matter is still up for discussion," Dumbledore cut in.

"What may that be, Headmaster?" Draco asked.

"How is Hermione going to infiltrate the inner circle of Death Eaters?"Dumbledore said, winking again mischievously.

"I believe we can discuss that matter on the way back, Draco said, walking outside the tattoo parlor and waving his wand, signaling for the Knight Bus.

"Wait!" Arnold called out, "Y'all not paid me yet!"

"On that matter," Dumbledore grunted, turning around. "I Believe this should cover it," and with that, Dumbledore swiped his wand out form between yet another wrinkle and whispered a spell upon the sputtering man. "Obliviate."

The bus pulled up at exactly that second and an oblivious conductor stumbled out onto the pavement and opened his reeking moth to reveal half-rotted teeth.

"I am—" he started.

"Save it," Draco said, showing his Slytherin side as he shoved the bewildered man aside and made his way onto the bus.

0o0

Harry had no idea how long it had been, only hours or weeks or months. The curses had come to a stop and he could hear voices above him.

Before he knew it, he was being lifted up and he felt a soft black cloth around his face tighten into a knot behind his back. He was forced to his feet, but it was a long time with many failed attempts before he could make his own two feet support him.

His body was levitated up and out of the hole that he had resided in. When he reached the top, his body was only crashed down unceremoniously. It was terrible, being forced to stand, only to be knocked to his knees once again.

He was forced to stand again, but this time he could feel hands under his arms to yank him to his feet. Groaning he stood and grumbled. He stumbled forward blindly, throwing his trust unwillingly into the hands that supported him. He had no idea where they were going, but he knew they couldn't do anything worse to his body. He yearned for anybody to see him and to take pity, but considering his current company, his hope was fading. Somewhere in the distance, the hope was fading for another person, but these eyes were not taking pity anytime soon for the boy who lived.

0o0

**I HATE this chapter. Still under a thick cloud of writers block, but I see it hopefully clearing up soon. Please review? Give me ideas!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Woahhh :D I got a lot of feedback from my last chapter, I personally thought it was terrible, but I guess you all didn't. Okay then, onto the next one. Also, I think these coming chapters will potentially be very emotional for Hermione, so be prepared, this should be fun! This will follow Hermione. Enjoy **

0o0

They had planned it out perfectly; she would walk into the Order meeting, nursing her recently enchanted tattooed arm.

Their plan was pivotal on Moody's paranoia. Nursing her "marked" arm would most likely raise his suspicions. They had also planned to add some minor injuries such as bruises and scratches to visible portions of her body. An adapted version of a glamour charm Dumbledore had decided would be most convincing an easily pulled off. Dumbledore pulled this detail from Snape's previous spy work from them. He had often seen the Professor's various injuries when he talked with him over a warm cup of chocolate.

The trio then hoped that Moody would put the carefully constructed pieces together and publicly expose her in one of their meetings, therefore completing her cover as the secret operative. At that point, she would freely operate as the spy inside the closed doors of the Order members with Draco supplying her with the information that she had collected.

As the group sat one of many times discussing the inner workings of their plan, they had devised a fairly simple, but plausible if one didn't think to terribly hard explanation for how Hermione Granger, a female muggle born Hogwarts student had infiltrated the ranks of Death Eaters. She, on a clandestine meeting in Knockturn Alley, had met of all people, Narcissa Malfoy. Upon their introduction via Draco, the two coerced her to come back to the mansion and there, the two young wizards fell in love. The two had come under scrutiny from Lucius Malfoy and he had made Hermione at least serve his family and Voldemort if she was going to keep being around. The two would act as a couple in real life from then on whenever possible to further sell their story.

Now granted that most of the story was less than plausible at best, the group would most likely, they decided, have to come up with a newer, better cover-cover story, but they had bigger matters at hand.

"This thing… really is ghastly, you know," Hermione said, lifting up her sleeve to show the writhing snakes in her arm.

"Granger, don't worry, it matches your eyes," Draco said, attempting a flirtatious stare at her with his eyes.

"This relationship is going to be really difficult, isn't it?" she said, turning her head toward the old man to her right.

"Make it work," Dumbledore said, never looking up from his papers.

Both teens were silent after that and continuously looked over the masses of papers spread out in front of them.

0o0

"How can you expect us to trust your source when we have no proof of these things you claim?" Moody said, not even bothering for an introduction to the meeting.

"I assure you, they are one-hundred percent at our disposal," reassured the Headmaster, not sparing a wink at Hermione as he said it.

This action immediately called attention to Hermione, just as planned. Moody swiveled in his chair and threw her a nasty scowl. He remained in that exact position, letting his magical eye inspect her even when Dumbledore was outlining the new information received from Draco.

On cue, she rubbed her arm where her new enchanted tattoo lay concealed under robes. Giving her one last look, Moody turned around hesitantly and trained both of his eyes back on the Headmaster.

The meeting ended quietly, Moody never interrupting again, like it had been planned. They would have to try again next meeting. Hermione felt defeated, she wasn't sure how much longer she could pull this act off, and she wasn't the best actor.

She desperately wished that Harry was here, at least so she could talk to him, so he could at least give her some pointers. She approached Draco, her head tucked and gently leaned her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her fragile body and held her tight. She would have given anything at that moment to ward off the tears, but she was overwhelmed as she sobbed into his robes.

His hand softly stroked her hair and pulled out the tight braids that fell down her back.

Slowly, she lifted herself off of his chest and looked into his grey eyes. She so desperately wished that they were the green eyes of Harry instead, no matter how selfish those thoughts made her appear.

Quickly she dried her face and leaned against the cold castle wall beside him, not saying a word.

She heard limping footsteps from around the corner and looked to see what was happening.

"Ms. Granger, come," Moody ordered and crabbed the back if her robes, yanking her along. Draco immediately reached for his wand, but Hermione stopped him with a movement of her hand, wiping away the last of the tears and snapping back into character the best she could.

"Sir… wha-" she started before she was thrown against the wall, far out of Draco's sight.

"Don't "sir" me miss," he grumbled, his eye spinning rapidly, only inches from her face.

He reached viciously for her arm at her side, knocking aside her attempts to make him stop.

"What have you done…"he whispered upon seeing the tattoo on her arm. "This has something to do with the Slytherin boy, doesn't it Granger, DOESN'T IT?" he yelled at her, creating bruises on her arm.

In response, she simply cowered and tried to squeeze closer to the wall. Even though in her head she knew it was only an act, she felt her knees go weak at the sight of the enraged auror.

"Please sir, don't tell," she whimpered, tears filling her brown eyes.

"HA, don't tell my foot," he said gruffly before backing off of her.

Dumbledore was around the corner in seconds, a look of astonishment on his face as he saw the scene. From behind Moody's back, she winked at the Headmaster, only sniffling for Moody's sake.

"Alabaster, what is the meaning of this? Ms. Granger has done no wrong, I _assure_ you," Dumbledore said, playing dumb.

"This," he said coldly, holding up her revealed arm.

"We need to talk, the three of us," Dumbledore said, pointing to Hermione.

"What have you done to this poor girl," he said, still clutching the arm.

"My office, NOW," Dumbledore thundered and turned on his heel back toward his office.

She was dragged along after Moody, but she still managed to get a look at Draco's shocked face before she was pulled behind closed doors and Draco moved away into the shadows of another corridor.

0o0

**Well I don't really like this one either, but let's see what you all think. It will probably be a while before my next update, I'm sorry. Review, please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry guys, but this is probably going to be my regular rate until summer again. I can only write on weekends now, but I will finish the story! This will follow Dumbledore and Harry at the end. Enjoy **

0o0

The corridor was suddenly silent, my voice echoing through the hallways. Alabaster still had Ms. Granger's arm in his hand and it was slowly turning purple from the incredible pressure he was undoubtedly putting on it. There was silence for a few minutes, nobody moved and nobody spoke. Nothing moved forward, until Dumbledore turned slowly on his heel and walked down the chilled hallway into his office.

Slowly, he sat down in a large chair opposite two others that would very soon hold Ms. Granger and Alabaster. Alabaster, the old sly serpent had managed to break their silence without exposing Ms. Granger as she, he, and Mr. Malfoy had so carefully planned for.

The two came slowly into his office moments later as he had predicted and sat themselves in their respective chairs.

"Dumbledore, I respect you and your position as head of Hogwarts, but in all of your history at the castle, never; _never_ have you put a student in such mortal danger as you are doing here with Ms. Granger. Headmaster, how did you manage to con and _manipulate_ this student to do your bidding? What tricks of words did you use on her that would convince this brilliant young witch to throw away her future for your mindless enterprises?" Alabaster said, his voice rising until he was again on his feet with both hands planted on the headmaster's desk.

"I have done none of the things of which you accuse me, Alabaster. I assure you, she has come to me with this information, and what kind of person would I be to let this poor young mind to risk herself pointlessly?"

"We should ask the order what they think of this arrangement," he grumbled quietly, slowly lowering himself back into the chair next to Ms. Granger.

"Please sir…" Ms. Granger said, giving Alabaster what must have been her best attempt at puppy dog eyes. He had to admit, however, that they were rather effective, perhaps to much so; as Alabaster's attention was focused on the girl, his expression faltered and it seemed as if, just for one moment, he would comply with him."

"Still," the stubborn man continued, "Look at this," he said, once more exposing Ms. Granger's muggily altered arm. "How could you have the conscious to do this, and how can you go to sleep at night with yourself for these things?"

A small tap on the door pulled their attention away from the current situation and Professor McGonagall entered his office without waiting for further invitation, holding what looked to be some concoction made by the Weasly twins in one hand and her wand in the other, which was pulling a very ashamed looking Peeves behind her. As she entered the office, her attention was immediately grabbed by the Dark Mark on Ms. Granger's arm and she quickly let Peeves go, throwing whatever she had been holding back at him.

She flicked her wand and the large doors slammed shut afterward.

"What in the name of _Merlin's Christmas stockings __**is going on here**__?_" she said, her thin lips getting thinner by the second.

"Minerva, it's very nice of you to join us, tea?" the Headmaster asked, his voice portraying nothing of the seriousness of the previous conversation.

"Headmaster, what the _hell_ is going on here?" she demanded.

"Minerva, this is our spy," Alabaster said, leaning back in his chair as Minerva rushed forward and grabbed Ms. Granger's arm for herself.

"Come Ms. Granger," she commanded, "_now_ if you please, she added.

"Ms. Granger, what in your brilliant mind would have lead you to the conclusion that this is the best way you solve the situation at hand? I am sure there are a lot more people who would have been willing to take your place."

"Love, ma'am," she answered shyly, ready falsified tales on the tip of her tounge, waiting to be manipulated by their plan.

0o0

There has been somebody near, somebody very near, like an angel. I can feel their presence in the dark dampness that has become my entire reality. I feel as if there is somebody watching out for me, and the thought there makes everything seem okay, if only for a minute. Wherever Hermione happens to be at the moment, I hope that she is being watched over as well.

Whatever angel has gotten themselves tangled up in this sort of hellhole has to have some serious issues, but anyway, I was glad for them. Even if it were just my restless mind inventing false comforts, it at least gave me comfort for a few fleeting seconds.

0o0

**So sorry everybody for the wait. The next chapter will be up in about two weeks I expect, the same as this one. Review please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry Sorry Sorry! You have no idea how busy I have been. I should say the story is pretty much over, there will be like 3 more chapters I think. After I finish, there will be just series of one-shots until I have enough time to continue writing more. This will follow Harry and whoever else I decide and will be really short. Try to enjoy anyway **

0o0

A small set of gray eyes looked in at the sleeping Harry Potter. Even through his face and body was battered and bloody, he looked peaceful, lying there in his cell. They had moved him some weeks back from that horrid hole to a cell within the Death Eater's main headquarters. The Order knew that they had had to act soon. Days and days went by when Harry had just given up hope. He had given in completely. Draco felt indescribable pity for his old rival, but just having the school taken out of the equation and the fact that he was human and they were still doing without hesitation made him wretch.

Deep inside, one tiny corner of his heart kind of refused to give up for him. He wasn't even aware of this one section himself most days as he stared blankly at the walls of his cell.

Hermione was his last thought at night and his first thought in the morning. He just wanted to hold her one more time.

0o0

'Let's just cut the crap," said Moody, rising to his feet in the middle of the meeting, interrupting Dumbledore mid sentence. "Harry here is our main goal, right? Then what the hell are we doing sitting around this damn table week after week? When is this bloody Order going to actually do anything?" Professor McGonagall stared at him in anger, then admiration as she rose to stand by him. After a few seconds, Professor Snape rose, then following their examples, most rose and started heading toward the exit, some in utter disgust.

Except Moody, he stood where he was, both feet firmly planted on the ground, staring Dumbledore down. Slowly he pivoted on his heel and turned to follow after the rest. Hermione caught his eye and made him pause.

At that moment, Professor McGonagall paused at the door, hearing the frantic static silence that was jumping between the two.

"A lot of wasted talent here, _Headmaster_," he snarled, his eyes never leaving Hermione's. "Come on girle, let's go," he said grabbing her arm gently. As she rose to leave with him, she glanced over her shoulder to give the dejected headmaster one last glance.

The twisting movement she caused rode her left sleeve up, exposing her tattoo. Professor McGonagall gasped as she saw the mark. Dumbledore's eyes immediately found hers and the spark returned. They were back. This was what the bloody hell was happening.

Professor McGonagall rushed over, snatching her much abused arm from Moody.

"What the _bloody hell_ is going on here, she questioned Dumbledore, fully exposing the tattooed arm to the rest of the Order. Some of those who had previously filed out were trickling back in at the sound of raised voices. There were gasps from the Order as they saw her arm.

Chaos started. When everybody had calmed down, Hermione snapped into character.

"I am the spy," she said, her voice dropping and her eyes making her look much older than she had a few minutes ago. It was amazing how good an actress she was. "It was of my own choice, and I cannot express with enough urgency that we need to work at the much bigger problem at hand here than myself. Harry needs out, and now." She said, taking the podium from the awed Dumbledore as she did so. He himself had never seen her in full spy-mode.

"But how did you, you're a Muggle born…" Somebody from the crowd asked.

Hermione glared hard at the asker, still not sure if her cover story would hold any ground here. The whispers immediately ceased. Damn, she was good.

"Let's get to work, team" she said, growing from innocent school girl to seductive spy in minutes.

0o0

Somewhere in a dank cell many miles away, a sleeping Harry smiled ever so slightly in his sleep.

0o0

**Really not happy with this, but I didn't want to keep you waiting any longer. Review please!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys, this is going to be like a teaser chapter before the battle/end chapters. We are getting very close to the end. Addressing the questions I have got, yes, this will remain a Harry/Hermione story. The Draco thing is nothing than a cover, at least for Hermione. Enjoy **

0o0

"Yes my Lord, I understand your position, but if we could just wait a little longer then-"

"How could you possibly understand such great matters," The dark Lord hissed, making his insignificant servant fall to his knees and recede slowly back into the shadows, quivering. "Of course, you cannot. Why do you pretend to understand my mind's goals and greatness, so don't pretend to," He finished, eyes alight with fury. He turned suddenly and disappeared from the room in a blindingly fast cloud of black smoke spirit.

His servants turned and watched him leave in awe, but not daring to follow him.

"Okay," the insignificant servant said, his voice trembling. "Get the boy."

0o0

"Hermione… psst, _Hermione?_" Draco whispered in her ear. She stirred slightly and for a moment, he faltered, not wanting to wake her completely. She just looked so peaceful sleeping there. She had fallen asleep after yesterday's clandestine meeting in Dumbledore's office. She was curled up on his big red velvet chair, one of Dumbledore's spare robes wrapped over her shoulders.

"Ah Draco, my boy, Dumbledore said, entering his office from a side chamber. And Miss Granger is still here I see, he said.

Draco glanced back behind him, Hermione had been stirred from her sleep by the Headmaster. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying for a few seconds to orient herself to the surroundings that she woke up in. Seeing Draco, she quickly tried to comb her hair rapidly with her fingers. It did her no good, it frizzed nonetheless, and she looked adorable just waking up.

"Headmaster," she said, putting her feet on the ground and quickly searching for her boots. "Headmaster, what happened?"

"Why, nothing Miss Granger, do you know if something?" He asked quizzically, his blue eyes sparkling as he turned and poured himself a tiny cup of tea, offering some to both her and Draco.

'Umm, no thank you Headmaster," Draco said and sat in one of the other velvet chairs beside Hermione. He watched her for a while as she drank her tea, closing her eyes and slowly inhaling the steam. She opened her eyes for a second and saw him watching her. She just laughed for a minute and went back to her tea. Did she really not see it? She could just be so blind sometimes.

A searing pain suddenly took him off guard. He tensed up immediately, grasping his arm. Both Hermione's and Dumbledore's attention was upon him immediately.

"I have to go he said, walking to the corner of the office and turning back for only a moment before disappearing in a swarm of black, his grey eyes the last to disappear.

0o0

"Greetings, loyal servants," He bellowed, wand to throat. The masked faces that surrounded him looked on in anticipation. "The time has come for out victory over those below us, Harry Potter will wrong us no more after tonight," Cheers from the Death Eaters erupted, whoops and whistles filled the Hall before they were silenced by their lord once again. "Bring me Potter, he shouted, drowning out the cheers of the exited Death Eaters.

Two big Death Eaters emerged, dragging chains. At once, the one on the left tugged on the chains and a thin boy was pulled to his knees, his head lolling to one side as they forced him to his feet. If it had not been for the two men on either side of him, standing would have been an impossible feat for the boy. The others there were immediately drawn to them and they surrounded Harry and his captors, only allowing a small passage for him to be more or less dragged through. As they closed in around the procession, hands reached out and tore at the boys clothes, making him moan as his shirt was tore off. At that point it was clear how little food he had been receiving. The Dark Lord could easily count each of the boy's ribs from where he stood.

They reached the Dark Lord and the two men carrying the chains abruptly dropped them, causing Harry to stager and fall to his knees, then to crumple into a ball at his feet.

"Ha!" screamed Voldemort, kicking him in the ribs and watching him squirm in pain, too weak to even cry out. "See what we are capable now boy?" he practically whispered, bending down closer.

0o0

Draco appeared in a crowded hallway, filled with jeering Death Eaters. They were all crowding around a focal point, Harry. He was practically being dragged to the center of the rally. Checking around him, he saw nobody had seen him. His father was standing beside Voldemort, looking smug as always. He quickly moved to a dark corner of the room and went straight back. They had to act. Now. They had officially run out of time. He saw the Death Eaters tear Harry's shirt off, and it was quickly discarded of. Nobody noticed through the commotion when a piece handed at Draco's feet. He quickly grabbed it up and left the room again, one tear leaving his grey eyes and falling on the grimy cloth as he disappeared.

0o0

**Sorry for the wait, I have no idea when the next one will be out, probably not next week though. Review please!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello guys, it's wonderful to be writing again. This will be the second to last chapter. Sorry it took so long, but I wanted to try to end it right. It was great writing with you guys as my audience. Thank you all. Enjoy **

0o0

They made him go over the situation meticulously. Hermione was reduced to tears as Dumbledore had him go over it again and again.

"Stop it, just stop it!" she yelled. "We know the bloody story already, we need to go, they are going to _kill him_, do you understand that Headmaster, _dead_, that is what he is going to be if we don't go, _now_," she screamed, her voice cracking on "dead" and "kill".

Draco crossed over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder protectively, but she threw it off and stormed out of the room.

"I'm getting McGonagall," She said, fire in her eyes, and slammed the door behind her.

0o0

"Get down on your knees before me boy," The Dark Lord cried and pointed his wand at Harry's knees just as he had done that once long ago in the graveyard. Harry was so weak, the fight taken out of him. As the curse overwhelmed his body and legs, he crumpled further into the ground, writhing silently at his feet. "Boy Who Lived, my ass. Scream, Boy Who Lived, loud, so that everybody can hear you, loud enough so that the headmaster himself in Hogwarts and your precious mudblood Hermione can hear you.

Harry raised his head at the sound of Hermione's name, a slow stream of blood running out of his moth and dripping onto the floor.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" he asked and laughed, kicking his head back toward the ground. 'Don't worry, she'll pay, too."

0o0

"Professor McGonagall, Professor!" she said, "We have to move, _now_,"

"My dear, wha-,"

"Professor, Harry!" She shouted, out of breath, "We have to go Professor"

"Okay dear, I'll go get professor Snape and… and you go to Alabaster, they will get the rest of the Order."

"Professor McGonagall, no disrespect, but you don't understand, they are doing it _now_, we have to leave now!" Hermione said, almost in tears again.

"What the _bloody hell_ is going on here," Snape's voice came from around the corner, eyes still blurred from sleep.

"It's Harry, we have to go now," Hermione said.

"We need at least one other, I assume Dumbledore knows?" Professor McGonagall said, her face pursed with worry; hand reaching into her robes to the pocket where her wand was.

"Yes, Dumbledore is coming; he is back there with—"

"With…?" Snape commented, his voice only yielding the slightest hint of distress.

"Draco. Draco has to come."

"Bloody Hell child, Draco?" Said Professor McGonagall, stunned

"Minerva, think rationally woman what choice do we really have here?" Snape said.

"But, my dear, his father…"

"I'm not the informant, he is. I am a cover. We have to go. There is no time to explain further."

Her face twisted at the new information, "Okay, let's— let's go then. Snape, do you need anything?"

"No, always ready Minerva. This many years should have at least taught you that."

0o0

"Are you ready to die, boy? Look me in the eyes; I will not be deprived of the satisfaction of the fright in your eyes. They won't remember you for your feats of glory, now they will only remember you for what I did to you; that I was able to defeat you, Boy-Who-Lived. Where is your savior Headmaster now?"

0o0

"Ready?" Dumbledore asked, taking the hands of Snape and Hermione. They formed a circle now and Dumbledore closed his eyes and warned everybody to hold on tight. Draco quickly exchanged a look with Hermione, trying to send her his thoughts through a single glace. But Hermione was much too focused on Harry to be able to think rationally and comprehend exactly the meaning of Draco's cryptic looks.

Before Draco looked back to the ground, his Potions Professor squeezed his hand lightly. When he looked up, he saw his Professor staring at him. Professor Snape only narrowed his eyes slightly and only shook his head ever so slightly. Draco, unlike Hermione, was not so focused on Harry. He got the message. With that, they all quickly shut their eyes and were off.

"Draco, my boy, where are we?" Dumbledore asked, looking flustered from the trip. He slowly reached into his silky robes and removed his wand. The Potions Master quickly follow suit.

"Look to the left," Draco said, resting his hands on his knees. "Harry's in there."

"Draco…" Professor McGonagall whispered.

"Sorry professor, I know this situation was unexpected, but we really have to move now,"

"Let's go," said Snape, raising his wand higher. "_Lumos_," he whispered.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Draco asked, rushing forward and grabbing his professor's wand.

"Draco, I think you forget, I know what I'm doing. I am rather… experienced in this field, one could say."

"As am I" Draco said, shoving the wand against his old Potion Master's chest.

"Do I need to get a ruler or are we going to save Harry?" Both Draco and Snape turned toward her and once again turned toward the castle, their wands at ready.

"Have we got a plan?" Snape asked.

"To get Harry." Hermione said.

"Right then Miss Granger, let's go," He answered and started toward the fortress.

0o0

"Ready to die boy?" Voldemort said, grinding his wand into Harry's temple. In response, Harry spit blood onto his robes and looked up, his once bright eyes darkening to a color nowhere near the intensity that they were just weeks ago.

"Wait, my lord," came a voice, barely a whisper out of the dampness in one of the far corners of the dark room.

0o0

**Sorry for the cliff hanger kind of ending, but I couldn't stand to leave you guys waiting any longer. I will start writing the final battle sequence next weekend. It might take some time and I apologize if it does. Review if you have any ideas for the last chapter that you would like me to know about! Thank you all!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry, I just had no idea how to write this. And I lied, there will be another chapter. This one ended up being huge, so I cut it in half. Enjoy **

0o0

"Wait, my lord," came a voice, barely a whisper out of the dampness in one of the far corners of the dark room.

The Dark Lord paused and raised his wand to the crowd, all who shifted back suddenly, dropping their heads. Some even shivered in fear of being accused for uttering those words. Those words froze the room stiff. Nobody dared even blink under the Dark Lords scrutinous eyes.

"Who…?" he questioned; hardly even able to believe what had happened himself. "Who the _hell_ was that?

The walls seemed to drop around them. The Dark Lord raised his wand still higher in the air, projecting his light into the deepest corners of the room. A sulking figure was illuminated quickly and the figure ducked his head further in order to avoid the Voldemort's gaze for even a few seconds longer.

0o0

He had had trouble keeping Hermione quiet as they entered. The potter boy very melodramatically placed in the center of the room, raised on a pedestal with spotlights of all places. He made a note to make sure to work him extra hard in Potions next week, the bloody fool will surely need some dignity slapped into him again after Pomfrey and Dumbledore have their way with him. He quickly grabbed her waist, pulling her back to him and placed his other hand over her mouth as she pulled away from him. Her screams were muffled by his hand. Finally, she just stood there shaking, but he dared not remove his hand for some time.

Shadowy figures turned their attention toward the two, who by that time had signaled for the others to wait just outside the entrance until the daft girl could be calmed. Without warning, she turned abruptly and wrapped his arms around hi, pulling him in a quick embrace before whirling around in a fury, holding three or four startled Death Eaters and wand point.

"Imperio," she whispered, and all three men immediately turned back around.

"Innocence spoiled, I see" Snape whispered, genuinely impressed with her turn around. He quickly motioned for the others to come in. Snape then cast a silencing spell around their area, which for the moment, included the four Death Eaters under the effect of the Imperius Curse. As Professor McGonagall pointed out, to everybody's amazed shock, that they might 'come in useful' at a later time. At her suggestion, Hermione agreed to keep them under the curse.

"Look me in the eyes; I will not be deprived of the satisfaction of the fright in your eyes. They won't remember you for your feats of glory, now they will only remember you for what I did to you; that I was able to defeat you, Boy-Who-Lived. Where is your savior Headmaster now?" Voldemort said suddenly, causing the group to turn toward Harry's pedestal again. Dumbledore let out a nervous squeak of laughter and was violently hushed by the rest of the group, not seeming to remember Snape's silencing spell.

"We need a plan" Hermione said and Snape marveled inwardly about how well she had completely changed in a matter of seconds.

"Correct, as always, Miss Granger, but here, stating what is simply correct in this situation will get you no where closer to the solution," Professor Snape said, moving toward the four Death Eaters that were included within his charm to examine them. He slowly walked around one of them, looking him up and down.

'Well, Professor?" Professor McGonagall asked, tilting her head.

"People, I believe that we need to get moving, do you understand?" Draco asked.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, we understand this situation, I assure you. Hermione, how good is your control of the Imperius curse?" Professor Snape said.

"Fairly good, sir, but I have only had theoretical teachings of it; I have never had a chance to… practice it exactly… sir…"

"Make him speak," Snape said, moving back to her side.

"What should he say professor?"

"It really doesn't matter at this point, you see, Miss Granger, the only requirement is that he does it _now_," he whispered, speaking very rapidly and motioning toward Voldemort's performance with Harry, where he was grinding his wand into his temple.

She quickly murmured under her breath and shortly, he was stepping out of the protective circle.

"Wait, my lord," The cloaked Death Eater murmured.

"Louder!" Snape hissed in Hermione's ear and she moved toward the outer reaches of Snape's bubble of silence. She breathed deeply and held her breath in the bottom of her chest. She hovered on her toes so close to the tiny shimmers in the air that marked the limits of the spell. She raised her wand so her chest and closed her eyes, taking full control of the Death Eater's body.

She prepared herself and breathed out deeply the breath that she had held within herself and she felt the unnamed Death Eater breath out as well. She opened her eyes and was immediately given a view out of his eyes. More confident, she commanded him to step out of the shadows, forming a plan on the spot.

"My Lord, I am afraid that you do not fully understand your actions," he started.

"How dare you even suggest that I, your Lord and master, have not entirely thought this out? I have run this through my mind; I have thought of _every miniscule detail_ you idiot. What the _bloody hell_ makes you think that your afterthought could possibly be of importance to this situation?" Voldemort hissed, kicking Harry back to the ground and leaving his body lying on the floor.

"My lord, I only meant to suggest to you… that may be…"

"That there is another way?" Voldemort laughed, spittle coming out of his mouth as he left the pedestal and made his way down to the Death Eater. "Gary, who the hell are you? Do you think your wife likes her children alive?"

"Sir, Master, yes, I would like to believe so, sir," Hermione mouthed and urged the man to circle away from their group so that Voldemort's attention would not be drawn from his unruly Death Eater.

Snape put his hands on her shoulders, and drew her back from the spell's veil. Quickly, the entire group shifted away from Voldemort who was sending waves of terrible spells at the Death Eater under Hermione's control. Every time a silvery stream of light flew from the Dark Lord's wand and hit the Death Eater, you could see a faint glow surround Hermione, as if the spells could travel through her Imperio curse back to her.

"What do you suggest?" asked Voldemort, falling to his knees beside the Death Eater. He got up, not receiving more than a whimper from the Death Eater. He kicked the Death Eater in the face. When he backed away, a small stream of blood was flowing from his obviously broken nose. Hermione's hand came up to her face and wiped just under her nose. Snape saw her fingers dripping with her own blood as she let her hand fall back down to her side.

"You are not even worthy to lick the dirt off my feet," Voldemort spat, raising his wand to the Death Eater, still curled on the ground. "Avada Kedavra"

Hermione fell forward through the silence veil. She couldn't help a small whimper from leaving her mouth as she felt the effects of Voldemort's spell. Blood formed a trail down her face and dripped off her lips onto the damp polished marble floor. All of the eyes from the small group were on her, except Dumbledore's, who were intently staring at the Dark Lord. Draco's and Professor McGonagall's eyes followed Dumbledore's gaze and saw Voldemort. He had turned away from his victim and was now staring at Hermione, a cold smile soon cracking his pale lips.

"Mudblood," he said, "What brings you here?" he asked, before shifting his attention to the rest of the small group. "Potter, it seems I was wrong after all, your beloved Headmaster has come to save you, how… _touching_. And Draco… what a pleasant surprise to see you here, as well, but I don't think your father would approve, I do believe it is passed your bed time," taunted Voldemort, patting Draco on the head before violently shoving him in the direction of his father, who did nothing more to help his son but to deliver a kick to his stomach.

"He is not my son, my Lord, no son of mine would _dare_ to be seen in such unpleasant company as a mudblood," Lucius Malfoy said, stepping over Draco as he said it.

"Very well, take him and the mudblood up with Potter then," he said, dismissing hi, with the flick of his hand. Lucius hesitated briefly, looking at his son.

"Yes, my Lord," he said, bowing slightly and pulled out his wand.

"Ahh, Severus," he crooned playfully. Voldemort reached out for Snape's face, tracing his jaw line as he stared at him. He flicked his hand as he reached Snape's chin, leaving a scratch about two inches long. "Loyalties are odd things, aren't they?"

He drew his wand, gesturing wildly at Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore, motioning for them to join Harry, Draco, and Hermione on the stage.

0o0

"How _dare _you dishonor your family," Lucius hissed in Draco's ear, as he dragged him up with Potter. Draco remained silent.

"Draco, hand me your shirt," Hermione said dryly after his father was out of earshot. Hesitantly, he removed it and handed it to her. She quickly tore it in two and wrapped each one around Harry's arms, which were bleeding profusely. "Alohomora" she whispered to the shackles that bound his wrists and ankles.

"Harry?" Draco asked, gently lifting his face from the floor. He gently tried to slap his face so he would regain consciousness, but nothing happened.

"I can't believe that just worked," she whispered to Draco, sliding off Harry's constraints.

His eyes fluttered open and he clenched his fists, squeezing his eyes shut once again. "Hermione?" he asked, his voice coming out as little more than a croak.

"Yes, yes, Harry, I'm here, it's going to be okay, and can you sit? We need to get you out," he said, trying to be as quiet as possible.

"And what the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" Lucius said, grabbing her by the hair and tearing her away from Harry. Voldemort turned as well, his eyes glistening with delight.

"Harry! Harry, NO!" she shrieked as she was dragged off the stage. "Harry, I love you," she screamed and stopped kicking as hard as several surrounding Death Eaters moved in to carry her away.

"Wait, leave her," Voldemort said. "We wouldn't want dear Harry to miss any of the fun, now would we? I do believe the fun has just begun."

0o0

**Okay, actually it might have two or three more chapters. I was hoping to finish it here, but it didn't seem to want to end. Please, tell me your thoughts. Review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys, so yeah. I will try to write as fast as possible over the holidays. Happy holidays to everybody, and yeah, be ready. Enjoy **

0o0

Slowly, the eyes of the captives turned away, drawing closer together. Voldemort and Lucius advanced on the group.

"Mudblood," Voldemort called, beckoning her forward with an extended hand. She stood silently and approached the Dark Lord. Her head hung low and she bit her lower lip. She stopped well before Voldemort's beckoning hands. "Closer darling," he whispered at her, stepping forward himself and grabbing a strand of her hair, using it to slowly pull her toward him.

She stood inches from him, her quick breaths caressing his pale cheeks and his rough wet breaths being thrown into her face. He slid a hand down her face, stroking it with his fingers. Draco stirred uncomfortably as the hand slowly moved down her neck and to her collar bones; slowly tracing them as well.

For just a second, Hermione felt his eyes leave her face. She glanced at his pale features, seeing that his line of vision was directed back at the platform, a hint of mischievousness in his ever-growing smile. She wished she could turn around as well, to reassure them that she at least would be fine, that there was nothing he could do, but she didn't dare move an inch. He stopped moving his fingers for an instant. With a single movement it seemed, he managed to grab her left wrist and seize her lower back with the other, pulling their bodies together so there was no space left between them. Hermione squeezed shut her eyes and held her breath. She did not even attempt to remove her wrist from his grasp and felt his fingernails driving into her pale skin.

Quickly, he released his wrist from his grasp, but yet he held his hand near hers for a few moments, as if assuring himself that she would stay put. With his lower hand still on her lower back, he squeezed her still closer and pulled a loose strand of hair out of her face. He leaned closer to her, his mouth just centimeters from hers.

"Such a pity," he whispered in a raspy voice as he closed the distance between their lips.

Finally Hermione could not remain silent; she took one of her hand and placed it on his chest, trying to push him off of her. He took his hand in return and placed it on the back of her head, forcing her to remain as she was.

"Hermione!" Harry and Draco yelled; Harry's voice significantly weaker than Draco's.

Voldemort turned to Lucius and slid his pale fingers under the corner of the neckline of his robes. He pulled the man closer to himself and whispered in his ear.

"Mudblood, here." The Death Eater ordered. Hermione moved closer to him, but Lucius closed the distance before she dared to. "Come with me, you filthy whore."

Lucius Malfoy shot a quick look at his son before taking Hermione by the hair and dragging her away from the central group. He marched her off into one of the dreary corners of the room and the two were soon consumed by darkness. The only sign that they had indeed left was the slamming of a door somewhere in the distance.

"Now that we are in the company of clean blood, I believe it is time for some… entertainment. Jared, bring some wine for our dear _friends _here." Quickly a small timid man approached Voldemort and handed him a bottle of wine. Voldemort picked a small rock of the grimy floor and placed it in the palm of his hand. As he closed his eyes, the rock was transformed into a glass and he poured a small quantity of wine into it and handed it to Harry.

"Drink my boy," he coaxed, tipping the red liquid into his dry lips. Harry gulped down the liquid, unable to think of an alternative. He watched as Voldemort repeated the process with each individual on the stage. Draco and Professor McGonagall hesitated before swallowing the wine, but they swallowed, because like Harry, they could not think of any alternative.

Voldemort stood back and grinned, dropping the bottle of wine on the floor, watching it as it shattered around the liquid. Somewhere in the distance, it seemed like a door was closing, or opening, he wasn't sure. The colors from the spilt wine were swirling in his consciousness; they felt as if they were going to consume his entire simple being. With all the strength and courage he seemed to have left, he broke away from the colors and stared up at his captor. The grin on his face portrayed such feelings of evil and betrayal. Voldemort turned toward the sound of the door, even though it felt as if it had been eons ago that it had sounded.

All at once, his mind cleared. Drugged. His thoughts fell back into oblivion as he turned to Draco and the others. They seemed just as muddled. He tried to form a sense of objection within his mind, but he could not conjure any clear thoughts; whatever moment of clarity he had had, it was gone now. Blackness clouded his vision and he felt the dam coolness of the rock floor beneath him.

"Bloody hell," he heard just before he succumbed to the darkness.

0o0

**I won't even try to explain my three month absence. Sorry about that. Ill begin writing the next one as soon as bloody possible, and that's all I know.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry sorry sorry sorry. I'm still alive. Try to enjoy **

It must have been hours. Trying to sleep was slowly becoming less and less of a possibility staring at the ceiling and listening to the drizzle of an oncoming storm. Harry's bed remained empty and be could feel his absence as if it were a tangible thing in the room. Abandoning the notion that he would receive any sleep that night, he slowly sat up and threw his feet over the side of the bed, sliding his cold toes into a pair of worn slippers. Rubbing the last hope of sleep from his eyes, he rose and clambered down the stairs into the common room.

Hedwig was sitting at the sill of the window, pecking rapidly at the mosaics. Ron walked over to the window and opened the window a crack, but enough for the soggy bird to come into the warmth. He flew up to his shoulder and then flew up, tugging on a strand of his rusty hair, pulling him toward the exit to the common room. He walked toward it, shuffling in his slippers. As soon as they were out of the Gryffindor common room, Hedwig flew in front of him, making sure that he was following every few feet. Circling back and flying around his head, Hedwig led him to the very outskirts of the castle grounds and into a small ring of trees. There, he stopped flying and landed on his shoulder once again. A small glint on the ground caught his eye and Hedwig flew off Ron's shoulder and disappeared into the height of the trees. As he straightened, he was holding a galleon. When he straightened, the circles of trees no longer surrounded him, but rather all the trees were behind him and in front of him, Voldemort's palace.

0o0

Hours or days, no prisoner could tell with certainty. Beyond anything was the feeling, rather, the aching of one's muscles after being forced to sit in the same place for days on end with no movement whatsoever. Worst of all was the smell. With no bath on sight, the smell of all the stationary, but live, bodies in one place was almost overpowering at any given moment. Severus was not sure why exactly it was this precise detail that gave him the most irritation on the damp dungeon, with all the other things his mind could have been on, such as escape, it chose this one to be of upmost importance. His entire genius mind, choosing to focus solely on that scent, that one sense, it was surely signs of his impending madness, he was absolutely certain, or was he? Nobody had talked in days it seemed, except for the occasional Death Eater, sneaking his way down into the dungeons for a bit of midnight fun and experimentation with pain thresholds. Even then, hardly any words were said. No greetings or goodbyes, no pleasantries of any sort, but rather the sounds of curses and hexes filled the dungeon. The louder the screams, the shorter the torture. Elementary thinking really, but something every single person in the dungeon had learned fairly quickly, judging on reactions after their screams had forced them to leave early. Harry, however, letting his pride and ego still get in the way, even after all this so it seems (insufferable boy) refused to give the Death Eaters what they wanted. And thus, he became, fairly quickly, their favorite play toy.

It was a particularly cold morning when the morning rations of stale bread and hard water were delivered. The temperature was not really relevant, but, like the smell, it seemed to stick out in his mind for reasons he could not quite put his thumb on. The meal, if in fact it could be called one at all, was delivered by a shorter man than usual. The way his black robes skirted the ground was distinctly different. In fact, it was an almost graceful movement that set him apart from the other guards. Severus was quite sure that he had never seen this guard before. He was certain.

0o0

Voldemort's palace. From a galleon? A magic gallon? He wasn't sure if he should laugh or admire the simpleness of it. Hedwig had disappeared from above him. Really he expected no different, but the noted difference startled him and alerted him of his change in scenery more than anything. Stumbling over a protruding tree branch, he tripped and his hand instinctively shot out to break his fall. It was greeted by the warm and familiar feel of cotton. It had been wedged under yet another tree branch. Pulling on what of it he could wrap his fingers about, he pulled out a Death Eater's robe. Sliding into it, he made his way to the castle, feeling dangerous and confident with hos new outfit. The robes themselves seemed to be giving him confidence.

0o0

As he bent over to put the tray on the floor, Severus was certain he caught a glimpse of a red lock of unkempt hair falling out from the protective veil of the hood. The figure quickly stood and his hooded figure turned, as if looking around the dank dungeon. Quietly, he bowed his head and left, his slightly-too-long robes sweeping the stairs behind him as walked up them. Everybody in the dungeon noticed the hesitation before the closing of the heavy latched doors above them. Nobody dared say a word.

0o0

**I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. Review! **


	18. Chapter 18

**It's Summer! That hopefully means chapters more and more often. May be even another one… hmmm. May be. Now that finals and APs are over, I will have much more time to write. So yes. Sorry for taking so long. On with the story. Enjoy! **

**0o0**

Was it? No. It wasn't. This must just be my mind cracking. Minerva McGonagall's mind giving in to such petty means as imprisonment? No. Never. It must just be bending to her "Gryffindor ways" as Severus would say. As much as she would like to believe it, she would simply not allow herself to believe that she had seen him. Or, at least not until she had more proof.

Since they had been there, Mr. Potter's condition had improved slightly with the constant attention of Ms. Granger and Albus and Severus watching over him.

"What I wouldn't give for a butterbeer…" groaned Harry as he slowly tripped into consciousness. This comment earned an expected scoff from Snape and a slight chuckle from Dumbledore. He and Hermione were sitting against the wall nearest to the latched doors to serve as sort of a watch to at least give the group some level of preparedness for when the Death Eaters would inevitably return.

"Harry, how do you feel?" Hermione asked, moving over to him in the center of the room.

"Like Merlin himself ran me over in Mr. Weasley's bloody flying car,"

Even Snape had to hid a weak grin at the boy's words and transfer his gaze to the empty walls in attempt to hide his amusement.

"Here they come," Dumbledore warned, quickly rising and moving to the center of the room with Harry and Hermione.

The hatch doors opened with a resisting squeal. The cloaked figure crouched and entered the dungeon, turning and easing the door shut behind him. The hood concealed his face and his robes dragged behind him for a small measure; a poor fit. He didn't say a word once he entered. Standing in the dungeon, he slowly reached up his sleeve and extracted his wand with visibly shaking fingers.

"You, Mudblood," he called, beckoning weakly at Hermione. When she did not move, he came over to her and grabbed her by her shoulder and eased her to her feet only go shove her against an opposing wall, forcing her to crumple weakly to the floor.

He murmured a spell too quietly to be heard by the other occupants in the room, but his wand immediately created bright orange and yellow sparks. Hermione writhed under the spell weak screams came from her mouth, muddled by the blood that spilled over her lips and down her pale skin.

"Look what you did. Now I have your filthy blood all over my shoes. The Dark Lord shall hear about this, I promise you so," He said and pulled her to her feet and threw her against the wall again. He moved in closer to her, his face only inches from her. She didn't look up. When the very top of the drooping hood touched her forehead, he backed up and let her fall back to the floor and moved toward the stairs. He paused briefly and turned back to the rest of the party. Minerva found herself wishing that she could have been able to read his expression. At least she had gained some information. She was correct in her assumption that she was indeed caving to her Gryffindor ways. Severus would be most pleased to torment her about this misstep is he ever found out.

The Death Eater turned on his heel and ascended the stairs, his foot catching on one of the old steps and a brief stumble caused his to place his hand on one of the higher stairs for only a moment before exiting the dungeon and closing the doors with a quick slam.

"Hermione, are you alright?" The headmaster whispered, moving over to her with a great deal more grace than would be expected of a man of his age in a situation such as this.

"I'm… I'm fine. I'll be fine. Check the room. Check everywhere he was, quickly, we don't have much time,"

"Well look at that. The bastard left us a wand," Draco chimed in, moving haughtily from his secluded corner of the room toward the stairwell where a wand laid "Hermione's, a good choice," he said and tossed the wand over to her. She held it to her face and felt the cool wood against her cheek.

"I always told you to read 'Hogwarts: A History'."

"As soon as we get out 'Mione, I promise, but how exactly is it relevant…?"

"Really, a miracle it is, Ronald finally read it. The spell he used, the only place I have ever encountered it is in that book in a subsection on the Triwizard Tournament. It makes the body appear and act as if it were in severe pain, while the victim feels nothing. Quite remarkable actually…" She trailed off and cleaned her wand tenderly with her tattered robe.

"It was Mr. Weasly?" McGonagall asked hesitantly.

"Yes."

"Apparently his 6 years of magical education was not wasted after all if he managed to get himself here without being killed." Snape added sarcastically, but he stood taller than he had just a moment ago.

"So, what's the plan?" Harry asked.

"Escape," Hermione said, moving toward the hatch and pointing her wand upward toward the charmed latch. "Alohomora." The doors swung open and landed softly. The group exchanged looks and Draco helped Harry to his feet.

0o0

**So yeah, hoping to wrap this story up, feels like it is dragging a bit to me. Anyway, please review and give you my opinion! Thanks! :D**


	19. Chapter 19

**See? Faster! Hmm. I hope to start another story this summer if I possibly have the chance. And I promise that it will be much better planned than this one, which admittedly I haven't put any effort into. The next one shall be much much much better. Enjoy **

0o0

"Draco, I'm surprised, I mean Harry and Ron I am used to lecturing, but you? I always told you that Transfiguration would be useful some day." She said, kneeling to the ground and picking up a rook. She placed the rock in the center of her pale palm and took the wand that she muttered a spell.

"Robes Hermione?"

"Death Eater robes," She answered, letting the full length of the roves now be displayed. "And your fit, I believe Draco."

Draco quickly slipped the robes over his thin and tattered clothing and gently pulled up the hood, raising his arms as to ask if he looked the part.

"Your pure-blood stature fills them out well," said Harry, only half joking.

"Hmm, the one useful thing my father ever taught me apparently…"

He fit the part perfectly, using his wand hand to wield the robes in a flaunt of his character, much like Snape would have after a heated discussion with the Headmaster or Minister of Magic.

"I'm ready. What's the plan?" he asked, his voice deeper and adopting a haunt-like aspect that was only ever seen when around his father or other Death Eaters. It sent a shiver down Hermione's back.

0o0

Hermione had of course, given him the wand. His job now was simple enough, to procure another one. He knew enough about the layout from his occasional forced visits with his father and the rest from his endless bragging about being the Dark Lord's puppy.

He wandered the murky halls until he encountered another hooded figure. He was taller than himself and more daunting considering the fact that he was to try to procure the man's wand from his, preferably, warm body.

"Top of the morning to you," he said, trying desperately to keep his voice from cracking or wavering. He cursed himself for saying anything when the Death Eater immediately stopped in his tracks and rotated his torso to face his greeter.

He didn't say a word as his hand slowly moved inside of his robes, presumably toward his wand.

"Expelliarmus," Draco said, drawing his wand quickly, drawing on yet another skill bred from his pureblood instinct. "Look at that," he muttered as the other cloaked figure was thrown back, "A Potter's advice used successfully by a pureblood. "The Gryffindor heart must have rubbed off a little, Damn,"

He quickly went over to the fallen Death Eater and followed his hand into his robes and found the man's wand.

"Almost too easy," he said to himself, inspecting the freshly-polished wand and admiring its craftsmanship. "must be an Ollivanders"

He quickly returned to the dungeon where he threw the extra wand almost boastingly to Hermione.

"I believe it is my turn," Professor Snape interjected, gently moving aside an awestricken Minerva. _Poor Minerva_, the thought to himself. _Gryffindor ways are of no use in The Dark Lord's Dungeon. _

0o0

Pretty soon, the entire party had stolen wands and a set of transfigured cloaks to go with. ("Couldn't have done a better job myself, Ms. Granger," the Headmaster commented, inspecting her work.)

They all walked down the hallway together, figuring that a group of escapees as large as themselves could not attain inconpicuity even if the attempt was given and the benefit of a crowd would give them at least a small sense of safety.

They needed an exit.

They needed to find Ron, or hope that he had already left.

The eventually found their way back to a familiar hallway and retraced their steps back to their entrance. Their first smell of the air was sweet and clean compared to the murky, damp air of the dungeon to which they had become accustomed.

"Wait… Go no further…" a strained voice came from behind them.

"Mr. Weasly?" Professor McGonagall asked, hope in her voice. She turned at the sound and her face fell.

0o0

"I believe Mr. Weasly will be along shortly," wheezed the Death Eater. His short stature and hunched spine made him look less daunting than his counterpart who stood near the door. He swiftly turns and opens it in a flourish that was distinctly Death-Eaterish to admit the Dark Lord to the room.

"Dear Mr. Weasly will not be joining us unfortunately," Voldemort said in just a way that made McGonagall and Hermione draw a rather sharp intake of breath.

0o0

"Produce The Chosen One," demanded the Dark Lord. He had gathered his Death Eaters in a surprisingly quick manner. They all surrounded him at a respectful distance in a circumstance that was all too familiar. "Produce him to me," he crooned as he reached inside his robes and retrieved his wand. "Produce him to me now," he said at the hesitation he received as a response.

0o0

**Aaaannnnd plot! There will be death in the next chanper. Oooh. Hmmm. Any suggestions? Review!**


	20. Chapter 20

Let's get on with it then. Enjoy!

0o0

"Give him to me, give him to me now," The Dark Lord growled and pointed his wand at the cluster of people.

"Can we come to some… arrangement?" Professor McGonagall asked in vain.

"You want me to give up the Potter boy for… what may I ask? What can you possibly think is more important to me than him at this very moment, stupid lady?"

"I just thought…"

"Obviously you weren't. Severus, bring me the boy."

"What, my lord, do you think is more important to me right now than keeping him safe from you?" Severus said, his brave words slithering from his thin lips.

"Lucius. Find your redement for your son's frivolous by fetching him for me, will you?"

"Of course, anything for you," the elder Malfoy said, bowing shortly then turning from his master and heading toward the group.

"Not if I have anything to do with it…" Professor McGonagall said, moving forward, producing herself from the group. She stood several feet apart from each other, Minerva's wand no longer shaking.

"Gryffindors," scoffed Malfoy "always known for their fraudulent bravery."

"And their skill," she said quickly, before aiming the wand at herself and casting a quick Disillusionment charm on herself.

"Bloody hell..." Lucius Malfoy said, turning on his heels, keeping his wand erect.

"Expelliarmus!" came the shrill voice of the now invisible professor. In the background, the Headmaster has also turned his wand on himself, rendering himself unseen to their attackers. Lucius blindly sent curses and hexes all around him while dodging the random shots of the light emanating in a ring around him.

He became still, bending at the knees and cast his hand out in a swooping motion to no avail. A green beam of light came from directly behind him, causing his wand to fly from his hand and onto the cold floor, several yards away. The force of the spell caused him to stumble forward a few feet, using his hands to catch his fall.

The professor's gown shimmered, as it was not quite invisible. From his place on the ground, the Death Eater pulled out another wand from inside his robes.

"Professor!" Draco warned; his voice high and shrill. Even as the words left his lips, though, his father had already taken action.

"_Incarcerous!" _He shouted from the ground, using his free hand to keep him from falling further. The telltale gleam of the cloak that revelaed her was seen again, but more furious as it billowed as she fell to the ground. The crack was heard echoing around the room. She slipped into an unconscious oblivion and slowly became visible, in patches at first, then all at once. Ropes were wound around her torso and shins. Her wand hand, which was still clutched her wand loosened and her wand fell to the ground with a clatter.

Not all at the same time, but the group all slowly became aware of the fact that there were scant amounts of red encircling where her head rested. As a few seconds passed, a halo of red encircled her head, soaking her hair and the toes of a pair of invisible shoes.

"You killed her!" Draco screamed, his voice cracking, his eyes dry of the tears his heart felt. "_You killed her_" He shouted again, this time directing his speech at his father. The boy pointed his wand at his father, like pointing an accusing finger.

"Son, I simply-"

"Killed her, you bastard," Draco said again, walking toward his father.

"Draco. Leave. This is not your battle." A door opened across the room at the remark, letting in a draft of cleaner air into the mustiness.

"No father, it is." He was not standing less than a foot from his father. He extended his hand and grabbed Lucius by the throat, just below the chin. His father made no move to stop him. Draco slowly raised and rotated his hand, as if inspecting his father and deeming him worthless. "_Legilimens_" he almost whispered. Draco lowered his head slightly as he delved into his father's mind. "WHERE'S RON?" Draco shouted, tightening his grip on his father and making an effort to extract more information from the crevices of the Death Eater's mind.

Lucius Malfoy went slack at this new level of onslaught brought on by his son, making Draco come down to one knee to compensate for the now dead-weight of his father.

All at once, he stop, letting go of his father, allowing his weight to once again crash against the floor.

"He's safe," he said.

There was silence. As they looked around themselves, they became aware that their professor's body was gone. A small trail of bloody footprints led toward the door opened by Draco's father.

"They're gone…" Snape said, his eyes following the footprints out the door.

0o0

**AHHHHH. Okay. I know what's going to happen. Get ready. Gonna be awesome. One more chapter darlings. Hostages and hexes await! Review!**


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